It Starts With Why
by purastella
Summary: Hermione stared down at the newspaper in her hands. "When I disappeared from Malfoy Manor, my world was at war. When I woke up, they said we'd won. They didn't say what we lost." Looking up at Steve, she continued, "You keep saying how when you woke up, everything had changed. Yet, for my world, nothing has." She tossed the paper on the floor between them. "I suffered for nothing."
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N): Hello everyone! Welcome to my latest story! This one has been rattling around in my head for awhile but I've only now been able to have the time to actually start getting it down- and this story has been hardcore demanding to be written for the past two weeks or so. **

**I cannot promise when I will update this next but I can say that it will probably be sooner rather than later.**

**This should be rather obvious once you start reading but just so we're all clear, this story starts between the end of the Captain America movie (so after Steve is unfrozen) and before the start of the Avengers movie.**

**Shoutouts go to my amazing betas and friends singingmyheartsong and Hannbells for editing this chapter and just generally being there to throw around plot ideas with!**

**Hope you all are having an amazing weekend! Enjoy!**

* * *

_She stared upwards as the room started to shake around them. "What's going on?!"_

_Her mom glanced around as well. "Nothing good."_

_The ground started to shake so violently that she fell to her knees. "I… I think… there's something pulling on me!"_

_Kneeling down next to her, her mom put her hands on her shoulders. "You're going to be just fine, got it? You're going to go out there and you're going to prove everyone wrong."_

"_What's happening?" she whispered, staring at her Mom's familiar brown eyes- the same color and shape as her own._

"_The spell shielding you is breaking."_

_She knew what that meant and by the look in her eyes, so did her mom. "What about Dad?"_

* * *

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Steady beeping was the first thing Hermione was aware of as she slowly drifted back into consciousness.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

She felt a vague sense of annoyance; the sound was keeping her from falling back asleep and she was so tired.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

Hermione groaned and shifted. Her eyes flew open as pain shot up her arm at the slight movement. She looked around blearily, trying to figure out where she was. At first, all she could see was white and Hermione wondered for a moment if something had happened to her eyes before she realized that the walls and ceiling of the room she was in were completely white. She lifted her head up an inch and looked over to see what had caused the pain and saw that her entire forearm was wrapped in a white bandage. The memories came rushing back and she sat up with a gasp.

_Bellatrix was standing over her, cackling with pure joy,_ _as she hit her with the Cruciatus Curse and Hermione screamed as her body seemed to be burning from the inside out. She wanted it to stop. She __needed__ it to stop. It felt like it went on forever and, in the back of her mind, Hermione wished she would die; that her heart would just give out so she wouldn't have to feel anymore._

Even though she was able to hear voices shouting and hands on her, all Hermione could concentrate on was the echoes of pain she had suffered at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange.

_She lay on the ground, unable to move. It was like her body was frozen in place after having been given a reprieve from the torture. The slightest motion sent a wave of agony through her system; she could barely breathe it caused her so much pain. She could hear Ron screaming for her from somewhere below and tears started streaming down her face. Then Bellatrix was leaning over her and saying something, but she couldn't hear the words and she was sure she didn't want to. And then Bellatrix was kneeling beside her, and the knife was pressed against her arm, and she was screaming, and it hurt, but she couldn't move, and that made it worse because, if she was really as smart and strong as everyone believed her to be, then she should have been able to fight back even a little, but she couldn't, and that meant she was weak. Weak and pathetic, and, worst of all, worthless._

Hands were holding her down and someone was saying something close to her ear. She couldn't listen though, couldn't focus on the words be told to her, and she refused to stop fighting. Then, there was a slight pinch in her arm before everything went black again.

* * *

Hermione's eyes flew open. She tried to sit up but there was something across her chest, wrists, and ankles that kept them pined to the bed. Starting to panic, Hermione began twisting and pulling, desperate to free herself, but the restraints wouldn't budge. She was just starting to become hysterical again when she felt someone grab her hand and a low, soothing voice said, "It's alright, Miss. You're fine. Just calm down."

She turned her head and saw a well-built blond-haired man with bright blue eyes sitting in the chair next to her bed. Studying him intently for a moment, Hermione attempted to place him, to remember if she had ever seen him in the pictures of suspected Death Eaters Mad-Eye had forced them to study. It was then she realized that he seemingly had an American accent and he was dressed in button down shirt and khaki pants- clothes no Death Eater would willingly ever lower themselves to wear. Hermione tried to ask him who he was but all that came out was a faint croaking noise.

The man looked confused for a moment before he realized that her throat was too dry to speak. He grabbed a cup and a pitcher of water from the table beside her bed and filled the glass before placing a straw inside and holding it to her lips. She took a few sips. "Thank you," she whispered.

He set the cup down and leaned back into his seat. "You're welcome." They stared at each other for a moment before he shifted slightly, seemingly uncomfortable. "My name is Steve Rogers. Can you tell me what your name is?"

"Hermione. Where am I? How did I get here?"

"You're, uh, in a hospital and we were hoping that you could tell us that."

"Us?"

Hermione heard a door open and then a large dark-skinned man with an eyepatch over his left eye and dressed all in black stepped into her line of sight. "Hello, Ms. Granger. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. My name is Nick Fury."

* * *

She hadn't believed them when they had first told her what had happened. _Frozen in time? _Legitimately frozen, not having been put into a suspended state using magic or even been petrified like she had during her second year, but actually frozen and then hidden until a few days ago. The very idea of it was ridiculous, something out of one of those science fiction stories her mother loved, but after being shown several medical reports and a countless number of newspapers and several articles on a small computer called a laptop, she had finally accepted what they said. It was not March of 1998. It was the month of November in the year 2011. She had been gone for nearly 14 years and had seemingly not aged at all.

Hermione wondered how this could have happened. One moment she was being tortured by Bellatrix and the next she was waking up in a hospital 14 years in the future with no clue as to how she had gotten there.

"_You were found outside a place called Stark Tower," Fury told her, staring at her intently. "Don't suppose you know why you might have been found there?"_

"_Stark," Hermione repeated, mind racing. "The only Stark I know of is the family known for designing military weapons and I certainly don't know any of them."_

"_That's what we thought," grunted Fury. "My agents asked Mr. Stark if he had any idea who you were, wondered if maybe you were left there as some sort of message, but he claimed to have never met you. Was very curious to know how it was you managed to drop out of thin air onto his doorstep. After we took you into custody, another agent recognized you as the War Hero Hermione Granger."_

"_Ha. Hero," Hermione chuckled, then wondered just how much pain medicine she was on. "Who is we?"_

"_Were called the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division- otherwise known as S.H.I.E.L.D."_

_Hermione's jaw dropped. "Damn, that's way better than mine."_

Apparently, S.H.I.E.L.D had been aware of the Wizarding World for quite some time and Fury, the current director of the organization, had even suspected that she might be the Hermione Granger once he had seen a picture of her- she had apparently grown even more famous after her supposed demise- but hadn't announced his suspicions to anyone in the event that he was wrong. Everyone was desperate to know where she had been and what had happened to her, but she was as clueless as the rest of them.

_Fury paused during his pointed explanation to ask, "Do you want to know what happened after?"_

"_Was Voldemort and his Death Eaters defeated?" was all Hermione asked._

"_Yes."_

"_Then no, I don't want to know anything else."_

It was that knowledge of the Wizarding World that had allowed S.H.I.E.L.D. to create the technology that had told them what had happened her, or more accurately, what hadn't. Having run several tests on her, they had been able to determine that, whatever had happened to her, had not been done with magic. At least, not with the kind of magic that she practiced. However, they could not say what exactly had occurred, but they could say that something similar had happened to one other person.

_Hermione glanced over at the blond man standing silently in the corner. "I'm assuming you're the other person?" she asked. "Otherwise, I doubt there'd be a real reason for you to continue standing in here when you'd clearly rather be anywhere else. It's not like Fury needs protection from me."_

_The man blushed slightly, only meeting her gaze for a moment before glancing down. "So they tell me."_

_Fury snorted. "More like you ran like a bat outta hell when you first woke up and found yourself right in the middle of Time Square. Got a face-full of proof there."_

_Unable to fault the man, Steve, for trying to leave, Hermione just stared at Fury. "Why would you make a headquarters in Time Square? While I'm sure the amount of people help cover the comings and goings of your agents, it would also put a large number of civilians in danger should something happen. Plus, the rent must be astronomical."_

Hermione could vaguely remember learning about Steve Rogers, or Captain America as he was better known as, in primary school but their history books never really said too much about him; he was more of an "American" thing she recalled one instructor saying. All she really knew was that an experimental formula had been used on him that had turned him in a "super soldier". He was the only one that this procedure had been done on since the formula had been lost almost immediately after it had been successful, and he had apparently died towards the end of the war. Sitting next to him in Fury's office as everything was explained to the two of them, Hermione surmised that something else had clearly occurred. The small part of her that was still Hermione, still that child that had wanted to know everything, wanted to learn more about his history and experiences but knew better than to ask; if she wasn't willing to talk about what had happened to her, why should she expect him to?

Since they were both dealing with somewhat similar situations, Fury had assigned Steve to stay with Hermione at all times until they could figure out what had happened to her.

"_The Cap's serum might have been what saved him, but you can't claim the same. Until we can figure out what happened to you, it'd be best if you had someone to keep an eye on you."_

_Hermione glared at Fury. "I see. So, I'm going from the British government's Undesirable Number Two to the American government's honored prisoner. How lovely."_

"_You have no idea who took you, where you were held, or how you were frozen," Fury argued. "This is a case of better safe than sorry."_

"_I was saved from suffering more at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange," Hermione retorted. "There's no evidence this was done with malicious intent!"_

"_And there's no proof that it wasn't. This isn't up for debate, Granger. You can either stick with Roger's or you can stay locked up in here. Choice is yours."_

Steve was polite enough towards her, even though she had been unceremoniously shoved off on him, but she could tell that he was uncomfortable around her. Despite the fact that he had sat with her for several days while she recovered in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private medical facilities, they hadn't really spoken to one another beyond discussing what had happened to her and a few things about the future they both found themselves in. Mostly, the two of them had sat in a traumatized sort of silence, both trying not to be overtaken by memories of the past and attempting to draw comfort from the fact that they weren't alone in this. Honestly, it baffled Hermione how anyone could think that sending the two of them off together would be in any way a good idea. They were both lost, emotionally/physically wounded from their respective wars, and unable to properly function in this new world they'd found themselves in. How were they supposed to support one another if they couldn't even truly look after themselves?

Hermione understood Steve's awkwardness, she felt it herself, but she hoped that they would eventually be able to be friendly towards one another. The logical part of her reasoned that she wanted this because it would be uncomfortable for both of them to be in close quarters if they weren't at least somewhat comfortable with one another. The darker part of her, the part of her mind that had been twisted by the Horcrux and becoming increasingly louder, whispered that if even someone who had been through a similar experience couldn't connect with Hermione then no one else would ever be able to.

After they had been dropped off back at the apartment provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hermione had been given a tour of the place, she decided to try and start a conversation with her new roommate.

"Excuse me, Captain Rogers," she started.

"Just Steve, please," he interrupted. "I'm not a captain anymore."

She smiled. "At this point, I think you'll always be a captain, whether you like it or not. In any case, I just wanted to let you know that I really do appreciate you doing this for me and I'm sorry for the inconvenience. I'm sure being stuck with me is not what you were hoping for, but I promise to stay out of your way as much as possible so as not to disrupt your routine."

Steve seemed surprised. "It's no problem, ma'am. I have no issue with you staying here. It's just," he rubbed the back of his neck, obviously uncomfortable, "I don't think I'm going to be the best company at the moment. I'm still pretty lost with this different world and it's been hard transitioning into this new way of life."

Hermione gave him a soft smile. It really hit her then that he was from another time period, one where it would be considered indecent for him to be living with an unmarried woman he wasn't related to. "Considering the fact that I am only a few years younger than you, and that I'm currently staying with you, I'd prefer if you just called me Hermione. Also, don't worry about keeping me entertained; I can't imagine what you're going through. I don't know what I would do if I woke up and found that I was essentially gone for 70 years and was suddenly in a whole new world," she admitted. "I've only missed 14 years and I still feel like I'm trapped in a dream, a nightmare."

"It hasn't been easy," Steve admitted. "I sometimes think it's still 1942 and then I go outside or turn on the TV and remember that it's not."

"What have you been doing to get caught up? I'm guessing there's not really a support group for people who find themselves in the wrong decade," Hermione attempted to joke.

Steve chuckled and sat down in a chair. "Not much really," he admitted. "I'm still just trying to accept the fact that this is my new reality."

"That's understandable. I doubt you ever imagined something like this would happen."

Steve studied Hermione for a moment before commenting, "You seem oddly accepting of your new situation. Is that because things like this aren't as uncommon for magical folk?"

Hermione sat down on the floor and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She decided to be honest with him, both because he probably already knew he details of what happened to her from whatever file S.H.I.E.L.D. had on her and because she felt that she could trust him. "Before I… went to sleep, I suppose, and found myself here, I was being tortured. I was in so much pain that I thought I was going to die, wished that I would. I suppose the reason I'm so calm right now is because a part of me doesn't believe any of this is real; part of me believes this is all something my mind conjured up to protect me from the pain. Or that I went insane. Either way, there's no point in getting upset over something that isn't true."

Steve nodded slowly, looking concerned. "I can understand why you might think that, the same thing happened to me when I first woke up, but the longer you stay in denial the worse it will be for you. You can't hide away from the truth forever."

"I know, but I don't know if I can," Hermione admitted. "One moment I was in the middle of war holding the title of Undesirable Number Two, and the next, I'm lying in a hospital bed being told that I've been asleep and frozen for over 14 years, and the war is over. I've been fighting since I was 11 years old; I can't just turn off the solider in me."

Shaking his head, Steve muttered, "11 years old… children have no place in war." Leaning forward slightly, arms resting on his knees and hands loosely clasped together, Steve continued, "I get it, I really do. Have you thought about maybe talking to someone? I'm sure your old friends would be happy to know you're not dead."

Hermione snorted. "Whom exactly would I talk to? The only person who could possibly understand what I'm going through is you. Have you tried talking to someone?"

"No," Steve admitted. "I'm not too good with the whole 'discussing my feelings' thing."

"Neither am I. And as for my friends, I can't talk to them. Not yet, at least."

"Why not? It's not fair to them to be kept in the dark. They shouldn't have to spend another day mourning your loss." Despite seemingly attempting to keep his tone even, Hermione could hear the judgement and pain in his words- pain at knowing that she could do the one thing he never would.

"I know," Hermione said, her voice cracking with repressed emotions. "I know it's not fair, but I can't see them, not yet. For so long, it was just Harry, Ron, and I against the world, but they've spent 14 years living without me. They've moved on with their lives, but I haven't.

"They know how to live without me, but I don't know how to go on without them. Until I can do that, until I'm sure I can see them again and be around them without the risk of becoming too dependent on them, they can't know. If they're still the same as I remember, as soon as they know I'm alive, they'll do everything in their power to find me, and I'm not ready for that yet." She honestly wasn't sure that they would, but she wasn't ready to openly face her fears concerning the two boys she had grown up with.

Her rational thought process surprised Steve; he would never have thought things through that much if he had been in her situation. He hadn't had to- all of his friends were dead, except for Peggy. He winced slightly before pushing thoughts of her away. His situation with Peggy was entirely different than Hermione's. "That's pretty logical reasoning for one so young."

Hermione laughed. "As I said, I'm not that much younger than you and you should know better than anyone that war changes a person, makes them grow up far too fast."

Steve blushed. "Apologies. That was rude of me."

She waved off his apologies. "No apology needed. After all, I'm sure the women in your time acted differently than I do."

Steve's thoughts drifted. "Not that different."

Hermione was curious as to what he was thinking about but didn't ask. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the shadows on the walls, before Steve finally looked at Hermione and gave a slightly strained smile. "Are you feeling up to eating? I was given strict instructions to keep you watered and fed."

"That makes me sound like I'm some sort of pet, or maybe even a plant," Hermione grumbled. Steve gave her a real smile.

"If that's the case, then I feel obligated to warn you that I've killed many a plant in the past."

She laughed. "Good to know. Don't worry yourself too much though; I'm pretty self-sufficient."

"Can't do that, ma'am. A good officer always makes sure to look after his soldiers," Steve told her with a smirk.

Hermione arched her brows. "Is that so? Well, fair warning to you, I'm far more used to giving orders at this point than I am at taking them. And no more calling me ma'am! If you have a habit of forgetting things that quickly then you must have been the worst soldier."

Steve laughed at that and Hermione felt proud to have finally managed to get him to give a real laugh. His situation was far worse than her own; he was the one that truly need to be looked after. She hopped up from the floor and went over to Steve, holding out her hand. "Alright then, Soldier Boy, let's go get us some food."

Steve just sat there for a moment, taking in the view of this small woman with large brown eyes and curly hair that was reflecting the light of setting sun, and admitted to himself that he could have been stuck with far worse than her.

* * *

Hermione groaned and draped herself over the library table. Steve wasn't faring much better than her but he, at least, was still able to keep his head up.

"It's too much," came Hermione's muffled voice. "We've been gone for too long and there's too much to catch up on."

"It'd probably be easier for you if you just focused on one country's history at a time instead of just trying to learn everything that ever happened in a specific year," Steve pointed out calmly, though he too was feeling overwhelmed. He didn't understand how so much could have happened in such a short time. At least libraries were still a thing- neither of them were very comfortable with computers and would have been lost if that was all they had to rely on for getting caught up. It was also a way of killing two birds with one stone since Fury had been encouraging them to leave the apartment more. They had to stay together at all times while out and Steve was positive that there were also agents tailing them at all times, but Fury seemed to have gotten it into his head that the illusion of freedom would make their adjustment quicker. It was too soon to tell if he was right though.

Hermione's head shot up. "I can't just not learn about the other countries!" she nearly shrieked. "Everything that happens in one country affects others! I can't ignore that!"

Steve gave her a stern look. "Keep your voice down. And I'm not saying don't learn about the other countries, I'm telling you to focus on one at a time."

Her ire immediately withered away. "Sorry," she said softly. "I know this must be far more difficult for you than it is for me."

Steve shrugged. "I've always been more of an action guy, only learning about what I found to be important. You're far more detail-orientated than I am, which is probably why this has been harder for you than me."

Hermione flopped her head back onto the table with another groan. Steve was so _understanding _and _sweet _and she wasn't used to that. Realistically, she knew that most of her feelings towards him were just in response to the situation they'd found themselves but that didn't change the fact that she was growing to care for the so-called 'man out of time' far more than she should; she knew that her fascination with him would never result in anything. He was wonderful, very charming and handsome, and she knew girls far prettier than her would come flocking to him once the public found out about him. Though, she was rather sure that Steve wouldn't notice any of them either since he was still grieving over a girl from before. Hermione didn't know who she was- Steve hadn't told her anything about his past- but had seen him holding a photo of a beautiful woman in an old-fashioned uniform one evening before he'd hidden it away in his breast pocket.

"You okay?" The concern was clear in Steve's voice. "Maybe we should take the rest of the day off."

"I'm fine," she told him, sitting up again. "Although, I wouldn't mind taking a break for the day and just going for a walk or something," she added, seeing the overwhelmed look on his face.

Steve flashed her a sheepish but grateful smile. "It would be nice to stretch my legs."

They both stood up and collected the books they had been looking at, having decided against bringing them back with them, and set them down on a nearby cart as they had previously been instructed to do by a librarian. As they were walking towards the door, Hermione had an idea. "Movies!"

Stiffening slightly in surprise at her outburst, Steve turned to her and repeated, "Movies?"

Blushing, Hermione hastily explain, "We should get some movies to watch. Perhaps Disney movies to start with and work our way forwards? Start with the older ones and then work our way forward?"

Thinking it over for a moment, Steve finally gave a small smile. "The last time I went to the pictures was to see 'Dumbo' with a friend. Wouldn't mind seeing what other movies Disney put out."

She relaxed at his agreement, happy that he seemed supportive of her idea. Grabbing his arm, she led him over to the children's section and its wall of movies. "It seems that everything is on DVD now instead of the tapes my family would watch movies on, but I'm sure it won't be too difficult to figure out how to work the machine."

Steve bit his lip, doing his best to hide a smile. "You mean, hopefully, it won't be too difficult for you to figure it out at a safe distance and then tell me what to do, right?"

"One time," Hermione huffed, scanning over the library's selection. "I broke the television one time."

"The screen cracked, and it was literally smoking out of the back. And don't you mean you broke 'the telly'?"

Hermione was thrilled that Steve seemed to be growing more at ease with her; the man she had first met was barely able to hold a proper conversation with her, let alone tease her. That didn't keep her from properly responding though. "Just for that, I'm going to make you watch 'Bambi'," she declared, pulling the movie from the shelf before also reaching over to grab 'Cinderella'. "I had thought to spare you the pain of this, but you made me change my mind."

Peering over her shoulder, Steve shot her a confused look. "A movie about small animals is supposed to be a painful threat?"

Spotting a copy of 'The Adventures of Ichabod Crane and Mr. Toad', Hermione bent over to grab it before marching over to the checkout counter. "That's what everyone thought when they first saw the advertisement for it."

Reaching out a hand, Steve gently grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her to a stop. "Hey," he started, obviously hesitant. "Maybe… maybe we could also grab a show to watch. Start working our way up to modern TV."

Beaming brightly at him, she nodded in agreement. "Great idea! Though, I'm honestly not that familiar with American shows. The only two I know of that would be good to start with are 'I Love Lucy' and 'Leave it to Beaver' but I'm sure they have those here."

"What about shows that were well-known in Britain?" he inquired as they wandered over to the shows section of the DVDs by the adult section.

Flushing, Hermione kept her focus on searching through the cases in front of them. "Off the top of my head, I can only think of one and I think it's a little too on-the-nose for our situation."

"Really? What's it called?"

"Doctor Who," she muttered, hesitating for a moment but explaining, "It's about a time traveling alien."

Steve snorted. "Yeah, does sound pretty relatable for us. Wasn't there an episode on earlier though? Looks like a pretty modern show to me."

"Apparently they're doing a remake or something for it. The show originally started back in the 50s. I… I used to watch it with my parents."

Moving over to the D's, Steve found almost an entire shelf for 'Doctor Who' and some of the covers showed older images than others. "If it's still on, it's gotta be pretty good. I wouldn't mind trying it out for myself."

Slowly moving back to his side, Hermione scanned the titles available and carefully pulled out a collection of episodes from the first Doctor. "If you're sure…"

"I'm sure," Steve stated, watching Hermione intently. "As long as you don't mind?"

"Not at all." Hermione clutched their pile of DVDs to her chest and turned to go to the check-out counter.

* * *

Hermione took in a deep breath of the cool evening air and let it out with a sigh, feeling herself relax.

Steve chuckled. "Better?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I'm sorry for shouting before, while we were studying. I know better than to act like that, especially in a library."

"It's fine," Steve reassured her. "This is hard on all of us."

"How are you able to do that?" asked Hermione, honestly curious. "How are you able to keep such a level head?" _How are you still so kind?_ she wanted to ask. _How have you not just lost it?_

Steve shrugged, staring ahead. "That's just who I am. I guess I'm used to staying calm in hard situations."

"A born leader," Hermione said, softly.

Steve glanced over at her and smiled. "So I've been told."

They walked in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Hermione was studying the different aspects of the city, taking in all the cars and lights. Her family had lived in London her entire life, she was used to thriving cities, yet New York was unlike anything she had seen. London was historic and timeless, a balance of the past and the future. New York was the opposite, focused on just the future with only small remembrances of what it was. "What was it like here?" she found herself asking. Steve looked at her, eyebrows furrowed, and she clarified, "What was it like here when you were growing up?"

He turned back to the street in front of them, the way it used to look overlapping with how it was now. "There used to a pizza shop there," Steve finally told her, nodding towards a slightly run-down building that had a for sale sign stuck in the window. "My friend used to make us go there at least once a week."

"I've never understood everyone's love for pizza," Hermione admitted. "The ones I've had haven't been that good."

"That's because you've never had New York style pizza." He smiled at her and her heart skipped a beat. "You haven't lived until you've had the pizza here."

"Well, if it's that good," she smiled back, "then I insist you show me what I've been missing."

"It'd be my pleasure."

* * *

"_There's no way your father would drop the spell without telling us," her mother stated, voice low. "If it's breaking, it's because he can't keep maintaining it."_

_She couldn't stop the shudders coursing through her. "When I get back, what's going to happen?"_

"_I don't know. I wish I did but the magic thing was more your father's expertise than mine. You have to be ready though- he did the spell to protect you and if it's failing, there's a good chance that whatever's waiting for you out there is what he was trying to save you from."_

"_What do I do?"_

"_You watch everything and keep your head down," ordered her mother. "And once you find whatever it is after you, you use what we've taught you. Don't just fight your war- you gotta win it."_

_Nodding, her jaw tightens. "If this world is disappearing, does that mean I won't see you again?"_

_Smiling at her, her mother cupped her jaw. "No. The spell connecting all of together is still working. I'll find you- I promise. If not in your mind, then in the real world."_

_Feeling herself about to disappear, she reached up and squeezed her mother's hand. "I love you."_

"_I love you, too," her mother whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Be brave."_

_And then everything faded into darkness._

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! Or at least not a terrible one. Sometimes it's best to aim for bare minimum and go from there.**

**So, you might have noticed I changed the story summary. Last week, when I first uploaded this story, I had such a hard time choosing a summary and my beta Hannbells, who usually helps me, was a bit busy so I just wrote one up and put it up. I didn't love it, but at that point I was just ready to be done with it. However, when Hannbells finally got around to seeing it a few days ago, she was instantly like "Nope." So, I created a new one that we both liked and that is what is up there now. Hopefully you all like it too!**

**Shoutouts to twinklegoesthesea, , angel897, Lexxxi, fringeperson, Hp17, Cotharach, Irianna Maire, KEZZ 1, and Fatalromance for reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts about what you've read so thanks!**

**Thanks to Hannbells for beta reading this chapter! You're a glorious human being!**

**Hope you all are doing well! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Hermione opened her eyes and stared at the blue sky above her. Laying there for a moment, she breathed in the cool, crisp fresh air and enjoyed the calm flowing through her. Finally, Hermione sat upright and glanced around._

_She was alone in the park, which was not all that surprising considering how early it was, but there was someone walking over to the swing-set nearby and sitting down on the plastic seat, gently kicking her legs back and forth. Hermione climbed to her feet and started meandering over towards her._

"_So, where are we?" the woman asked when Hermione sat down next to her. "It kind of looks like the park I used to go to as a kid."_

_The answer came easily to Hermione even though she was sure she hadn't known it even moments before. "St. Louis, Missouri. We came here a few summers to visit family, and my cousin and I would come play in this park."_

"_Missouri, huh? I think I visited here once."_

"_Did you like it?" Hermione asked._

"_I don't know," the other woman answered, giving a soft smile. "Did you?"_

_Biting her bottom lip, Hermione slowly answered, "I think so. I think I did, but I'm not sure if I do now. That's strange, isn't it? Why don't I remember?"_

_Slowing her swing to a stop, the woman reached out her hand and grabbed Hermione's, squeezing lightly. "Because you're not ready yet."_

* * *

The first person outside of S.H.I.E.L.D. that Hermione met after waking up in the future, other than the small interactions she'd had in the library and at the store and such, was with Tony Stark. It had taken her a bit, but Hermione finally remembered hearing about Stark Industries when she was younger. The last thing she remembered learning about them was that the elder Stark's had died in car crash during her first year at Hogwarts, but she had lost touch with quite a bit going on in the outside world the more time she'd spent in the Wizarding World. She'd known that both the older Stark and his son were heralded as geniuses and worked in weapon manufacturing, but she was otherwise oblivious to Stark Industries dealings.

Tony Stark had appeared at the library one day while she was on her own. Steve had been working out in the abandoned gym on the bottom floor of their building and Hermione had snuck out without his knowing. She knew that she wasn't supposed to be going off on her own, but she couldn't help it- she'd finished the books they'd checked out the day before. Hermione needed to find some more, but she didn't want to force Steve to go back with her.

"Surprised to see you out on your own," was his opening comment as he slid into the seat across from her. She was staring at the stack of books on the table in front of her, trying to decide just how many she could carry home on her own. Hermione missed her charmed bag- she'd had it before but upon awakening, it wasn't among the items returned to her by the doctors.

Hermione blinked at him in confusion and a hint of suspicion. "I beg your pardon?"

He grinned at her. "No need to go that far, I've always appreciated a rebel myself." Offering her his hand, he introduced, "Tony Stark, better known as Iron Man. Or, the man whose building you were dumped in front of."

She stared at him. "I have no idea what that means," she reluctantly admitted, her own manners forcing her to take the offered hand. "But, thank you for not letting me bleed out on your walkway, I suppose."

Giving an exaggerated wince, Tony said, "That hurts. I know you've been a little out of the loop lately, but I would have thought that someone would have mentioned Earth's most outstanding hero."

Sitting back in her seat, Hermione asked, "Aren't you a weapons manufacturer? War weapons, to be precise. Not sure how that gives you the qualities one might desire in their hero."

His flinch was genuine this time. "Did. Now I've moved on to new, exciting things."

Hermione could see he meant it. "Good. There's enough horror in this world, people could use more new, exciting things."

It was Tony's turn to stare at her in bemusement. "You're really not what I expected."

"Well, what were you expecting?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "Someone stuffy and boring, like el capitán."

"Steve isn't boring," she disagreed. "He's just a little old-fashioned. And I don't see how you could judge how interesting I might be from that one statement."

"To-may-to, to-mah-to." Tony leaned forward, giving her a charming grin. "Now, if you're really serious about learning about the current times, then I am your guy."

"I'm still not completely sure who you are," Hermione pointed out. "And how you were able to find me."

"Why, through S.H.I.E.L.D. of course!"

The obvious answer, Hermione supposed, was that someone had told Tony she was here and sent him to retrieve her. She hated obvious answers though, she had spent several years dealing with overly complicated, manipulative bastards, after all, and they had beat a distrust into her of accepting anything that could be taken at face value. "If that were true, then you wouldn't have waited to approach me till Steve was away."

"I would if I didn't want to waste such valuable time discussing my intentions with that old fuddy-duddy."

Her lips quirked. "Fuddy-duddy?"

"Didn't want to offend your delicate British sensibilities." He sat back in his seat. "So, how 'bout it? Want to blow this popsicle stand?"

"I don't even know what that means." Hermione had a pretty good idea though, and she couldn't deny that she was tempted. While Steve was wonderful company, he knew even less than she did about today's world, and she was desperate to get caught up. It also didn't hurt that she could tell that Tony would certainly keep things interesting. Despite his…eccentricity, Tony seemed very grounded in that he was confident in himself and his values, and that more than appealed to a girl who had never felt more lost.

Tony smirked at her. "Do you really need to?"

Hermione finally smiled back at him. "I suppose not." She closed the book in front of her and set it to the side. "Lead on."

"That's the spirit!" he cheered, bouncing to his feet. "C'mon now, off we go." He grabbed her by her hand and pulled her from her seat, almost dragging her out of the library.

Shoving her into the passenger seat of a bright red sports car that he'd somehow managed to park right in front of the library without being ticketed, Tony raced around to the driver's seat and peeled away.

"Where are we going?" Hermione shouted, wincing at the sound of the music blaring out of the car's stereo. She'd have turned it down herself, but the car seemed very… electronic-friendly and she didn't want to risk damaging it. While she had always done well with keeping her magic from negatively impacting the technology around her during her summers at home with her parents, it seemed that time really did change things. Since she had woken and begun living with Steve, she'd accidentally broken the TV, the refrigerator, and blown every bulb in the apartment when she'd been in a bad mood one morning. Steve had just waved off her apologies, telling her that he was used to living with less so some of the electronics not working didn't really bother him, but it frustrated Hermione to no end.

"Back to the scene of the crime of course!"

Blinking at him, Hermione attempted to think of what exactly he was referring to. "The scene of the crime?" she slowly repeated. "You mean, Stark Tower?"

"What else could I possibly be referring to?"

"A crime you're about to commit of course."

Laughing, Tony slid his sunglasses on. "I like the way you think, kid."

Leaning back in her seat, Hermione felt the tightness that had been squeezing her chest the last few days finally begin to loosen. "As you should. I am considered the brightest of my age. Or I was." And there went her good mood.

"Still are, from what I hear," Tony threw out casually, staring straight ahead at the road.

Hermione turned her head sharply towards him. "You know? About the…"

"Wizarding World? Yeah, I do. Have to say though, think you all need a bit of help in the name department. Wizarding World is so obvious."

"Considering most magical people don't interact with non-magical ones, it works. But how…" Hermione trailed off, suddenly unsure if she actually wanted to know the answer to this question. Either he knew about the magical world because he had a connection, in which case she was sure he had heard quite a few stories about her that she probably didn't want to know about. Or, he had found out some other way and that meant she was still without a genuine connection to the world that she had been a part of for almost half her life.

Tony knew what she had been about to ask though. "I kept bugging S.H.I.E.L.D. about you and when they weren't being fast enough, I dug around on my own. From what I read, you're still considered the smartest of smarty-pants to grace Magical Britain. Of course, I also read that their educational system is garbage so not sure how that'll translate to the rest of the world."

"And what else did you read?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Some very biased news stories," he answered casually, swerving around several cars moving too slowly for his preference. "That Skeeter chick really hated you, didn't she? I've gotten some bad press myself, but even they haven't gone that far with me."

Hermione groaned, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. "Lovely. I should have just kept her trapped in that jar."

Coming to an abrupt stop, Tony turned and pushed his sunglasses down slightly in order to be able to stare at her properly. "I'm sorry, but did you just say, 'glass jar'? As in, you kept this woman trapped in a jar for indeterminate period of time? No wonder she hates you."

"Please," Hermione snorted. "She hated me long before I trapped her. My 'death' most likely just gave her free reign to continue attempting to drag my good name through the mud."

"If it makes you feel better, she couldn't go too hardcore with the smear campaign," Tony offered. "The public does love a martyr."

"Martyr. That's funny. It's amusing how I went from 'Mudblood' and 'Undesirable Number 2' to 'Tragic Figure'." Her fingers were clenched into fists, nails digging deep into her palms. "It's all absolutes when it comes to the British Wizarding World. You're either a sinner or a saint, a hero or a villain, a blushing virgin or a red-lipped whore."

Tony was quiet for a moment. "If it helps, I was definitely a man-whore for a good chunk of years there."

Hermione's lips quirked. "And what caused you to change directions?"

"You're about to meet her." Throwing his door open, Tony jumped out of the car and walked around to open Hermione's door.

She hadn't even realized they'd arrived at Stark Tower. "I thought it would have taken longer with the traffic here."

"I'm just that good," Tony bragged, placing a hand on her back and guiding her to the entrance, tossing his keys to a gentleman waiting by the doors.

"Why are we going through the main entrance?" Hermione asked, eyes darting around the open street, automatically looking for a threat. She and Steve were still working with a soldier's mind and had the habit of taking strange routes to get around so that it would be harder to track their movements. They were both aware that their respective wars were over, but old habits die hard.

"Because this, my dear, was where you were found." He gestured to a random slab of concrete right in front of the doors with a flourish. "Look familiar?"

Staring down at the ground in front her, Hermione took several deep breaths, trying to see if any memories were going to reveal themselves. After a moment, she sighed and admitted, "Nothing. Fury did say I was unconscious when I was found though."

"What Fury said and what's actually true are two very different things." Tony ushered her inside and over to a glass elevator, winking at a blond woman sitting at the front desk.

Raising an eyebrow, Hermione said, "Well, I was told that you were the one to keep an eye on me until S.H.I.E.L.D. came and got me so, you tell me, was I awake at all?"

"No," Tony sighed. "Doesn't mean that Fury wasn't lying."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "That may be true but, as he's the only person I'm getting information from at the moment, I have to make do with what I have."

Hitting the button for the top floor, Tony raised an eyebrow. "Whatever happened to the girl described as clever, sneaky, vicious, and unstoppable when searching for answers?"

"She was sent on a fools quest by a self-serving old man with the only assistance coming from one boy too focused on his own problems to care about the ones he made for others and another boy who was so pathetic he ran home to Mummy when things got tough and then expected instant forgiveness upon his return."

"My, aren't we bitter?" His tone wasn't judging but oddly commiserating. "Probably has something to do with hunger; you are rather waifish."

Heaving a sigh, Hermione asked, "Suggesting my resentment will disappear with food? What's next, my temper flaring directly correlates with my cycle?"

If this had been Harry or Ron, the discussion would have abruptly ended as they would be too flustered to continue speaking with her. Tony Stark, however, seemed to be made of the same cloth as the Weasley twins and he instantly shot back, "I've seen the medical records, Sabrina. You've got a ways to go before I'll need to start worrying about you PMSing. Considering what you did to your apartment when you were just feeling irritable, I can't wait to see just how much destruction you cause when that day comes."

"How do you know about that?" Hermione demanded as the elevator doors opened. "And who is Sabrina?"

"A common question when it comes to Tony, unfortunately," came an exasperated voice. Hermione's head snapped up to see a beautiful red-haired woman waiting for them, hands on her hips.

"You wound me," Tony cried, striding forward and cupping the woman's face in his hands, leaning in to give her a quick peck. Turning back to Hermione, he said, "This is the light of my life, the turn in my road, the lovely Pepper Potts."

Rolling her eyes at Tony's introduction, Pepper stepped forward and held out a hand. "Hello, you must be Hermione. It's nice to meet you. Well, I mean, we did meet previously but you weren't exactly fully conscious for it so it's nice to be seeing you, you know, fully awake." She didn't even seem to notice that she was rambling, focused instead on studying Hermione's frame intently, as if searching for signs of the previous injuries she had seen. "And to answer your question, Sabrina is the main character of the show _Sabrina the Teenage Witch_."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Hermione responded, shaking the woman's hand. Honestly, her gaze was starting to make Hermione uncomfortable and her shoulders tensed slightly in response.

"Yeah, yeah, joyous vibes to everyone," Tony snarked, shifting back over to Hermione and propelling her further into the spacious room. "We have things to do though, so you'll have to excuse us."

"What things?" Pepper demanded, following after them.

Tony brought them to a stop at a different elevator across the room and hit the down button. "Two different elevators?" Hermione inquired. "Seems a bit much, wouldn't you say?"

"Hey now, this leads to my private labs. Wouldn't want just any rift-raft getting in here."

Hermione couldn't help the partly amused and partly bitter grin that touched her lips. "You know, there's quite a few people out there that would categorize me as just that."

"Not as many as you would think," Tony told her softly, glancing sideways at her.

Pepper stepped over then and grabbed Tony's wrist, pulling him firmly away from the elevator. "No."

"No what?" he asked, the picture of innocence.

"No, you are not taking Hermione down to the lab so you can make her participate in what is sure to be a reckless experiment."

"Experiment?" Hermione asked, instantly wary and feeling far too vulnerable without her wand. It was easier for her to forget the loss of it when she with Steve; he may have known of the Magical World from Fury, but he didn't _know _about it as much as Tony seemed to. It was easier to act Muggle around him because of that.

"See, look what you've done now," Tony complained. "You're freaking out poor Elphaba over here." Turning to look at the petite brunette, he explained, "It's not an experiment. I just want to see how my technology holds up against your magic. It was pretty nifty what you did to Captain Tightpants' apartment, and I want to see how my stuff holds up considering it's far more superior than to the bargain-brand crap you currently have."

Hermione didn't understand all of what Tony was saying, an increasingly frustrating occurrence and considering that they'd just met, it was most likely one that wasn't going to get a whole lot better, but she understood enough. As did Pepper.

"That's still an experiment, Tony, and it is absolutely not happening." Letting go of Tony to wrap an arm around Hermione, ignoring the way she tensed up for a moment before relaxing, Pepper led her over to the couch. "I'm so sorry about him; he clearly hasn't heard no enough."

"The power has clearly gone to your head there, Pep," he whined, following them and flopping down next to Hermione. He gave her large eyes. "You're smart, you get what I'm trying to do."

"Who's Elphaba?" she asked instead of responding.

"Oh, now that's just sad," Tony exclaimed, sitting up straight and patting Hermione on the head. "We must correct this oversight. Not right now of course, because we have other things to do, but some other time."

Glaring at Tony for a moment, Hermione turned to Pepper and repeated, "Who's Elphaba?"

Pepper gave her kind smile. "She's a character in a musical. It's a retelling of 'The Wizard of Oz' from Glinda the Good Witch and Elphaba the Wicket Witch of the West's point of view."

Hermione spun back around to look at Tony. "Why did you give me a nickname after the Wicked Witch?!"

"I was trying out a nickname on you the referred to the Wicked Witch," he corrected. "Way too long though, so I'll have to find something else."

"Getting in the car with you was a mistake." Hermione rubbed the sides of her temple.

Laughing Pepper said, "Everyone feels that way at first. Food always helps though. Chinese sound good to you?"

"Oh, I couldn't possibly stay," Hermione answered, tugging on her sleeves in discomfort. "I really shouldn't have come here at all; Steve is sure to notice I'm gone soon enough, if he hasn't already, and I don't want to worry him."

"Don't worry about that; I let him know that you're hanging out here." Tony tilted his head upwards. "JARVIS, order us some Chinese from that one place. And some Pad Thai from that other restaurant. And ramen- I'm feeling ramen, anyone else feeling ramen?"

For a moment, Hermione wondered if Tony had lost his mind as he seemed to be speaking to thin air. Then, "Of course, sir. Your delivery should be here in 30 minutes."

Jumping up and scanning the room for another person, Hermione could feel herself begin to panic. "Hey," Tony said, standing up as well and moving to lock eyes with Hermione. "It's all good. That's just my AI, JARVIS. Built him myself and everything."

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted. "It is unlikely that Miss Granger knows what AI stands for. Miss Granger, my name is JARVIS and I am an Artificial Intelligence that Mr. Stark created."

"Artificial Intelligence," Hermione repeated and then blushed. Honestly, she had done that so many times now that she must sound like a complete ninny. "That is… quite impressive. I assume you do more here than simply order meals?"

"Of course." She was amused that JARVIS sounded almost offended. "I am also in charge of security here at the Tower and assist in the running of Stark Industries."

Hermione's eyebrows rose. "Impressive. Did you choose the accent yourself or is that what Stark gave you?"

"I was programmed by Mr. Stark to sound like his father's butler."

"I'm surprised he named you JARVIS instead of Jeeves then."

Pepper snorted in laughter. "That's what I said when I was first introduced."

"If you're all done mocking me," Tony interrupted, obnoxiously snapping his fingers in Hermione's face to get her attention. "As you can see, my intelligence is clearly superior and therefore you can argue that there's no problem allowing me to see if you can blow up my lab."

Blinking at him, Hermione asked, "Do you actually hear the words coming out of your mouth, or are you too involved in listening to the sound of your own voice?"

"I don't need to hear it- they came from me so of course they're spectacular."

Hermione couldn't help laughing even as Pepper gave Tony an exasperated look. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but even if I wanted to help, I wouldn't be able to. I don't know what you read, but the magical education in Britain is wand-based. We need wands to properly channel our magic and I lost my wand previously and haven't been able to replace it yet."

Tony seemed unconcerned. "Yeah, I heard Europe and America were a bit old-fashioned like that. I also read that other countries aren't so limited. When did you first perform magic?"

Frowning at his non sequitur, she answered, "Before Hogwarts? The first time I can remember was when I was four. I was being teased by a girl at my primary and I froze her feet to the floor so that she couldn't follow me when I ran away. There were times before that, but none that I can personally recall."

"See!" Tony pointed. "You can do magic without your wand; school just handicapped you! You're ahead of the curve though, which is why you still do wandless magic when you're upset. All you gotta do is go back to your roots and I am here to be your Yoda!" He grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the elevator.

"I understood that reference and unless you shrink down, turn green, and start speaking backwards, I reject your status as my instructor."

"That's it, channel that anger so that you can blow things up!"

Pepper followed after them with a sigh. "If Hermione agrees- _and I mean actually agrees not you don't allow her to disagree, Tony- _then you can go down to the lab until the food arrives."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know us dating made you the boss of me," Tony sassed, looking at Pepper over his shoulder as the elevator doors opened.

"I've always been the boss of you," Pepper returned. "That's why you've lived so long. I've just let you think that you've been the one in charge."

"How generous." The elevator opened then and Tony stepped inside. "Coming, Mia?"

Hermione stiffened.

_Mia._

_Not bad, Mia._

_You can do this, Mia. And don't you let anyone tell you differently._

_If I had kept you, you would have been named Mia._

"It's up to you, Hermione," Pepper reminded, placing a hand on Hermione's arm and grounding her.

Shaking off the voice echoing in her mind, Hermione stepped in beside Tony. "Can't hurt to try, I suppose. Not so sure about the nickname though, when I have a perfectly good name already."

"Far too long," Tony dismissed, waiting until Pepper was standing with them before pressing a button. "I'm a business man, it's all about saving time whenever I can. Right, Pep?"

"With your attitude, it's amazing that you have any money at all," Hermione muttered.

"That's because he didn't make his money from being a business man," Pepper answered her. "He makes the products, I run the business. Tony's really just the mad scientist of the group and I'm the brains of the operation."

"Again, I'm right here and I can hear everything you're saying."

"Yeah, but you've got such a short memory," Pepper retorted sweetly. "If I repeat it often enough, maybe you'll remember."

The elevator came to a stop and opened onto Tony's lab, painted entirely white with the only splashes of color coming from armored suits lined up on the walls and random machines scattered about. "Alright, Elsa," he started, striding into the room. "Let's see what you've got."

* * *

_They were standing in bright and airy sitting room now. Hermione wandered over to a small table next to a recliner, studying the pictures resting on top. "Who are they?"_

"_My family," the woman answered, stepping up behind Hermione. "Yours too, if you want."_

_Hermione turned to ask what she meant by that but was distracted by the reflection in a mirror hanging across the room. Walking towards it, she stared in befuddlement at the child looking back at her. "I'm young," Hermione whispered in confusion. "That's not right though. I think… I think I'm an adult." She rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hand._

_A hand came to rest on her shoulder. "Don't think so hard," she was advised. "I know it's hard, but the memory will come back to you when it's supposed to. You'll just hurt yourself if you try to force it."_

"_What happened to me?" Hermione turned to meet the calm, solid eyes staring intently at her. "Who are you?"_

_Sliding her hands into her pockets, the woman simply answered, "You were hurt. Your mind got a little bit damaged, and it's healing itself right now. Don't worry- you'll remember everything one day._

"_As for who I am, technically I'm your mom but you can call me Val."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N): Hello! I have returned with a new chapter for you lovely readers! I hope you all have been having a relaxing weekend so far.**

**Shoutouts to faytiaa, burungmalam, mckertis, peachx89, Elle Ryder, Hp17, angel897, fringeperson, noise95, ANGSWIN, Totodile158, Adharablack85-2, KEZZ 1, and Guests for reviewing! I loved hearing your thoughts so far and hope that you continue to both enjoy this story and ask questions!**

**This chapter is unbetaed (reliable betas are a bit scarce for me atm) so any mistakes are all on me.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Didn't you want me?" Hermione asked as Val was brushing her hair._

_Val sighed. "I did and I didn't. My family growing up wasn't the best and I was just about to start my training when I realized I was pregnant with you. I knew I wouldn't be able to give you the life you deserved and when your father offered to help me find a family to place you with… I thought it would be the best thing for you." She set the brush down and began to carefully braid Hermione's hair._

"_He knew about me?" Twisting around abruptly and causing her hair to be braided off-center, Hermione stared up at Val. "He knew you were pregnant with me? And he also didn't want me?"_

"_No," Val interjected hastily, not wanting the little girl to get the wrong idea. "He absolutely wanted you- when he found out I was pregnant he did all he could to convince me to… keep you. The only reason he didn't take you himself is because he didn't think it was safe. His family also isn't the best and he wasn't sure he'd be able to protect you if they decided they didn't like you."_

_Brows furrowed in confusion and lower lip jutting out slightly as she thought, Val couldn't help thinking that Hermione was the most adorable thing she'd ever seen. No one who knew her would ever describe her as very maternal- not anymore at least- but she could feel a different side of her emerging; the person who she was before. She'd failed her daughter, giving her up the way she had. She knew that now._

_And she swore that she would never do so again._

* * *

"This isn't working," Hermione said, folding her arms across her chest and giving Tony an unimpressed look. "You may be right about wandless magic, but that takes years of training in order for magical users like me, those who were taught to use wands, to do. I can't just deliberately use wandless magic on command like this!"

"Clearly we're going about this the wrong way," Tony told her without looking up from the computer.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you."

"Oh, good, your frustration is just what we need!" He finally met Hermione's gaze and the manic excitement in his eyes made her instantly wary.

"Tony…" Pepper warned from her seat in the corner of the lab.

"What? All the other times she started waging war on tech was when she was upset. Clearly, if we want to get anywhere, we're going to have to start pressing some buttons." Picking up a tablet, Tony opened a file and then threw what was on his screen onto the glass monitor across from Hemione. Her eyes tightened at the images hanging in the air and Tony started speaking rapidly.

"The only child of two dentists, middle-class family all around- boring," he started, bringing a picture of her parents to the front. "Though, it is interesting reading that you were adopted and there are no records of who your birth parents are. Considering all the prejudice still happening in Britain, I'm surprised no one ever picked up on the fact that you might not be as nauseatingly normal as your background makes you seem. So, real parents dumped you, adoptive parents never really understood you and couldn't understand why you wouldn't just act normal, all the other children picked on you, and then the war restarted with you right in the thick of things.

"Your parents disappeared your final year of schooling under very mysterious circumstances, but I think what's far more surprising is that they weren't the first family members of yours to disappear without a trace, were they? Says here your cousin, who you were very close to, also disappeared when you were eight. Does your family just have a shocking habit of misplacing each other or is it just those closest to you?"

"That's enough, Tony," Pepper interrupted, jumping to her feet just as every electronic in the lab began going haywire.

Smoke started coming out of the various machines, screens began to crack, the lights all shattered, and one weird machine with a claw began to make a whirring sound like a high-pitched scream.

With a small boom, the glass walls separating the lab they were in from another room and the elevator shattered outwards, littering the floor with shards.

Staring around in shock, Tony took in the sight of his destroyed lab. Every piece of equipment, including his cell phone and watch, had been destroyed- possibly beyond repair if the smell of melted metal was anything to go by. Luckily for him, his arc reactor was still working, otherwise they would really be in trouble.

"Do not," Hermione warned in a tone so soft and deadly that it made the hairs on Tony's arms and neck stand on end, "talk about my family."

The thin wisp of a girl who had been standing there, exhausted, malnourished, battered, and bruised, was gone and had been replaced by a soldier who had survived a war with nothing more than her brains and her nerves.

All Tony could think to say was, "Well, that was certainly some impressive destruction."

"Damnit, Tony!" Pepper swore. "Look at this place! This is worse than when you were first working on your suits!"

"I wasn't the one who blew anything up!" he protested and pointed dramatically at Hermione. "She did it! She's the one who ruined everything!"

Pepper was unimpressed by his argument. "This was your idea which means that this is your fault. You owe Hermione and I new cell phones."

Hermione was thrown by this turn in events. Once she'd calmed down a bit, she had expected for Tony and Pepper to become upset at the mess she'd made. Instead, Tony was rambling about the amount of damage done, sounding almost excited, and Pepper was blaming Tony for antagonizing Hermione. "There's no need for that," she tried to reassure Pepper.

"Yes, there is," Pepper told her flatly. "He wants to behave like a child, he can handle the clean-up."

"There's really not though- I don't even own a cell phone so nothing of mine was harmed."

Pepper gave her a strange look and even Tony refocused his attention on the conversation. "S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't give you one?" she asked.

Shaking her head, Hermione explained, "There really wasn't a need for one. The only person I would need to call would be Steve and I'm generally always with him. Plus, as you can see, electronics really don't like me right now. Steve has one, I believe, so if I ever did need to get ahold of someone, I would just ask him."

"Unacceptable," Tony declared. "JARVIS?" There was no response. "Wow, you even shorted out JARVIS. Hopefully you just killed the sound system here in this room and didn't completely destroy him."

Hermione flushed. "I've previously only caused any serious damage to the room I'm in."

Almost positive she had heard Tony muttering something about testing the damage radius next time as he ushered both girls to the emergency staircase, Hermione followed the couple into the stairwell and up a flight of stairs.

"JARVIS," Tony called again. "You still alive?"

"Indeed, sir," came the AI's voice a moment later. "While Miss Granger did take out all electronics and systems operating in the lab, it didn't not spread beyond the floor."

"Sorry," Hermione called out sheepishly.

"No need to apologize," JARVIS told her politely. "Sir really should have known better."

"I'm rather sure that he did know better, he just didn't care." Hermione shot a glare at the back of Tony's head as the started up the stairs again.

"You don't seem very surprised by JARVIS," commented Pepper, looking back at Hermione over her shoulder. "Most people are a little creeped out when they first hear about us having an AI."

Hermione shrugged. "I'm used to unusual things, coming from the magical world and all. It also helps that JARVIS comes across as more human than AI."

"Yeah, but that tends to freak people out more," Tony tossed out, pausing outside the door to the lounge area Hermione had first been taken to. "Door, JARVIS."

"Of course." There was a small beep and then the door unlocked.

"Thanks, JARVIS," said Pepper, rolling her eyes as Tony just barreled through. Holding the door open so Hermione could pass through ahead of her, Pepper softly told her, "I really am sorry about Tony."

"It's fine," Hermione waved her apology away, following in Tony's footsteps and walking over to the couch. "I shouldn't have agreed to do it; I knew Tony had a mad scientist look about him."

Laughing, Pepper nodded in agreement. "That he does. He's brilliant though- just has trouble playing nice with others, especially when science is involved."

"Damn," Tony swore. "All the cameras and sensors were fried the moment you went all Exorcist."

Frowning, Hermione asked, "Wasn't that movie about people being possessed? Are you trying to say I'm possessed?"

Before Tony could intentionally start pressing Hermione's buttons again, JARVIS announced, "Your food has arrived and Mr. Hogan is on his way up with it."

"Great! Pepper, why don't you show Mia where the bathroom is so she can wash up?"

Bristling, Hermione was about to respond when Pepper placed a hand on her arm and gently began pulling her away. "He doesn't want anyone else to know you're here. The receptionist downstairs is very discreet but Happy- the man bringing the food up- can be… overly enthusiastic."

Anger deflated, Hermione just nodded. Tony Stark was certainly a man of contradictions.

Once Pepper was sure the coast was clear, the two women returned to find the coffee table in the middle of the circle of couches covered in food containers. "How much did you order?" Hermione asked in amazement. She hadn't seen this much food since her last Hogwarts feast.

"A bit of everything," he told her dismissively. "I don't know what you like but I prefer a variety of things."

She was smart enough to catch the subtext of that statement. "Thank you," was all she said before moving to sit down on the floor, guessing that Tony would be uncomfortable with any more acknowledgement. The smile from Pepper as she sat confirmed that she had done the right thing and Hermione made a mental note to keep that in mind for her future interactions with the bizarre billionaire.

* * *

Hermione was giggling at a story Pepper was telling about one of the girls that Tony had previously had a one-night stand with who had refused to leave when JARVIS suddenly spoke. "My apologies, Sir, but my protocols are being overridden."

As the elevator doors opened, Hermione instinctively ducked down. Pepper shifted closer to her, raising her hand to help shield Hermione's head, and Tony jumped to his feet and leapt over the couch, putting himself between their unknown visitors and the girls.

When he saw who was standing in the elevator, Tony relaxed before complaining loudly, "I'm sorry, who invited Green Arrow and the Iceman? Security breach! JARVIS!"

Also calming at her boyfriend's announcement of their new guests, Pepper dropped her arm and Hermione sat up, turning to look behind her.

"Stark," greeted Steve as he stepped into the room, jaw clenched and eyes tight. "Where's Hermione?"

"Steve," Hermione called with a smile, standing up. His cold blue eyes glanced over at her and her smile fell. "What's wrong? Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not. What were you thinking?! You just disappeared without leaving any word of where you were going, I had no way of getting ahold of you- whoever took you is still out there and I was worried you'd been taken again and here you are, sitting in Stark's living room without a care in the world!" The anger is his voice surprised Hermione and she instinctively took a step back, something everyone in the room noticed.

"Hey," interrupted Tony, moving again to position himself in front of Hermione. "Directing your anger at the wrong person there, Capsicle. And you did have word of where she was because I texted you that she was at Stark Tower; it's not my fault that your elderly self doesn't know how a cell phone works."

"Orders were that she was to remain with the Captain," another man interjected, stepping out from behind Steve. He was striking in his own way, but it was steady blue-green eyes that stood out to Hermione the most. "You were told to leave her alone."

Tony folded his arms over his chest. "I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood. Seeing as how she was found outside my building and I was the one to save her, I thought that meant maybe I could be trusted to not get her killed while in my company."

"That's not the point," Steve responded, though his focus was still on Hermione.

She'd been relaxed when he'd first seen her, more relaxed than she had been the entire time he'd known her. She was eating too, far more than she usually did judging by the amount of empty food cartons near her and her clear plate. That was something that had been worrying Steve- how little Hermione seemed to eat. He knew part of it was because food had been scarce when she'd been on the run, something he could empathize with, but is also seemed like something else was going on.

When Hermione was distracted, she seemed to eat automatically. But, when she was focused on her food, she could only seem to take a few bites before being unable to stomach any more. Never having encountered anything like it before, Steve wasn't sure what he could do to help her. Mentioning her eating habits just seemed to upset her more, causing her to eat even less for a day or so. Stark had seemed to understand though and had found a way to help her.

Shifting slightly so he could see past Stark to Hermione- who was still standing- her arms wrapped around herself. Steve met her gaze and told her, "I'm not trying to control you or keep you from going out if you want- I know you can look after yourself. I would just like for you to let me know so that I won't worry. Or, if something bad does happen, I have an idea of where you last were. We're supposed to be watching each other's backs and that means knowing where the other person is."

Sighing, Hermione's arms fell to her sides. "You're right," she admitted. "I'm sorry. I just…"

"Please don't apologize," Steve rushed to reassure her. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yes, I did. I shouldn't have taken Tony's word that you knew and I really shouldn't have just gone with him since he technically is a stranger-"

"I get it, I understand, I just-"

"Oh my god!" Tony loudly interrupted. "We get it, regrets on both sides. Hooray. Jeez, I can feel myself growing more and more awkward and fumbling as you two stumble over yourselves."

Unable to keep himself from rolling his eyes, Steve informed Tony, "We both have to report to S.H.I.E.L.D. tomorrow, so it'd be best not to stay out too late." He looked back at Hermione, wanting to make sure he wasn't overstepping his boundaries, but she just stared back at him in confusion.

"I… you're not here to bring me back?" she asked.

"No," he told her, lifting up a hand slightly to prevent Barton from disagreeing. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Tony was forced to reevaluate his previous opinion of Captain Tightpants. Seemed he wasn't as uptight as he previously appeared. Didn't mean he liked the man, just that he was slightly less disgusting to him.

Though, given the small amount of warmth the man had shown when glancing at Mia, it could be less having-removed-the-stick-from-his-ass and more whatever-the-pretty-girl-wishes. And Mia really was pretty, but that hadn't been the first thing he'd noted about her. Despite having been back for weeks now, Mia looked almost as frail and gaunt as she had when Tony had scooped her up and brought her to the hospital to be looked over. She clearly wasn't eating enough, the circles under her eyes showed she also wasn't sleeping well, and her hunched shoulders gave her a haunted, desperate air. Kind of how he looked after his escape from captivity.

While he was truly interested in seeing how his tech would stand up to Mia's magic, his real goal for that little experiment had been to prove to the girl that she wasn't as helpless as she might feel right then. Tony had also known that all it would take was one look at her and Pep would instantly go all soft and protective of the petite brunette. If Mia was able to melt Tony's stone heart so easily, his kick-ass girlfriend wouldn't stand a chance. The redhead had instantly noted Mia's aversion to food when the first sat down and had drawn the girl into conversation, telling her amusing stories about some of their past experiences. Mia had been so involved that she'd just eaten whatever was put in front of her without looking and Tony had kept scooping more food onto her plate whenever he'd been able to.

"Nonsense," Pepper interrupted, yanking Tony from his thoughts as she walked around the couch to stand beside him. "Hello, I'm Pepper Potts. You're Steve Rogers, correct?" She held out her hand and Steve took it with a slightly confused expression. "It's nice to meet you- Mia's told us a bit about you. You should both join us."

Tony wanted to object on principle, but he had seen Mia perk up slightly at the suggestion and the look in the S.H.I.E.L.D. assassin's eyes told him that Barton was either going to stay with Mia or she would be going with him as he left the building- the choice was Tony's. He couldn't give in too easily though. "But Pepper," he whined, "I don't wanna play with the other kids- they always try and steal my toys."

"That's because you're terrible at sharing," was Pepper's flippant response to him. "Really though, we have plenty of food here and we'd all love for you to join us."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Steve said dryly but nodded agreeably all the same, walking over to Hermione's side and sitting down. Barton hesitated by the elevator for a moment before finally giving in and moving over to the group.

"Hello," Hermione greeted him softly. "I'd introduce myself, but I'm sure you already know who I am."

"That I do. I'm Clint, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." He nodded in greeting but didn't offer to shake hand.

"If you don't mind my asking, why did Tony refer to you as 'Green Arrow'?" Hermione asked, picking up her fork and poking at the food that Tony had added to her plate when he thought she wasn't looking.

Clint sighed. "I'm an archer."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Really? That's not a very common sport, is it? When did you first start?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yeah, Barton's a special boy- hardcore old-school in his choice of weapons. Must be why he and the Fossil are so friendly. But, can you really call what he does a sport?"

"Considering the size of his arms," Pepper murmured, sipping her drink, "I'd say you can."

That made Clint crack a small smile. "Don't be a hater, Stark, just because you have to rely on your computers to aim for you- not everyone can be as adept as me." Turning back to Hermione, he answered, "I started doing it as a kid and haven't stopped ever since. I've found that using bow and arrows gives me a bit more flexibility compared to most standard weapons. Why did Pepper call you Mia?"

"You're Mia?" Steve interrupted, turning to look at Hermione in surprise. "I had wondered who had been talking about me to Pepper but…"

Flushing slightly, Hermione explained, "Tony decided my name was too cumbersome for him less than an hour after we'd met and started referring to me as Mia."

Glaring at Stark, Steve asked, "You didn't like her name?"

"Too long," Tony dismissed. "Far too many syllables- I'm American."

"How are those two things even connected?" the blond demanded.

"It's fine," Hermione reassured Steve. "I really don't mind. I generally don't appreciate when people try to shorten my name but being called Mia… I think it fits."

"Of course it does, I suggested it!" boasted Tony.

Rolling her eyes, Pepper told Hermione, "It really could be worse- the number of times he's said something along the lines of 'Put some Pep in your step' is just obnoxious."

Hermione laughed. "Someone I went to school with always called me 'Mione', despite how much I told him I hated it."

"Sounds like a swell guy," Clint commented sarcastically, munching on an egg roll.

"Swell he was not," Hermione muttered, staring down at her plate. "He…" she hesitated, torn between confiding anything about her past or clinging to her silence. Nobody was staring at her or doing anything to pressure her into continuing to speak, instead allowing her the time to decide on her own what she wanted to say. "We both went to the same boarding school and met our first year. We didn't get along at first but eventually found a way to get coexist due to a mutual friend we shared. He was… one of the people I was on the run with during the months before my disappearance. Not the full time though, he left us for a few months in the middle."

"He left you? Why?" Steve knew that Hermione had been on a mission of sorts before being captured and he couldn't imagine what would cause someone to up and leave before the job was done. He'd heard of it happening in the army, but none of his men had ever done it, never even considered going anywhere until HYDRA was taken down.

Her tone turning slightly bitter, she answered, "It was harder than he thought it would be."

Clint looked at her then, meeting his gaze steadily. "Which one was it? Ron or Harry?" At her surprise he told her, "Yeah, I know about them. Though, the story they told at the end of the war said that the three of you were together the entire time, loyal till the bitter end, until you were killed at Malfoy Manor. Ron also claimed that the two of you were in love and going to get married."

"HE SAID WHAT?!"

"So, gonna go out on a limb here and say that was a lie," Tony interjected cheerfully as Hermione fumed.

"I am going to murder him, just you wait and see," Hermione was muttering, hair sparking as her anger grew and everyone stared in fascination.

"Did that happen earlier?" Pepper asked Tony.

"Nope. Maybe the anger has to have time to build up?" he answered.

"What happened earlier?" Steve asked suspiciously.

"Why murder him when you can just ruin him once your return is publicized?" Clint asked Hermione.

"The press has never been my friend," Hermione told him, still glowering.

"There was a small accident in the lab," Tony told Steve evasively.

He wasn't fooled. "What did you do to upset her?"

Clint shrugged, stealing away Tony's drink while his attention was focused on not being murdered by the Captain. "Considering how they've been touting you as some sort of figure of righteousness, brightest muggleborn and all that- that's a stupid name by the way, muggleborn- you returning and shunning Weasel for being a cowardly runner- because I'm assuming it's him who ran because where exactly would Potter go- should cause some divided opinions."

"And Harry is just letting him go around and lie? Letting Ron tie himself to my memory and my name so that anything good said about me is connected to him because such a saint wouldn't love him unless he was also a good person and not a cowardly rat?"

"Enough!" Pepper shouted loud enough to gain everyone's attention. "Too many conversations going on at once right now."

"Did Stark do something to you?" Steve turned to ask Hermione.

It took her a moment to understand what he was he asking about. "He wanted to see how his tech would stand up to my magic so he tried to rile me up. His technology did not survive." She saw Steve's eyes flash and his fingers curling into fists and Hermione reached out, resting her hand on top of his. "It's alright, Steve," she said soothingly. "Tony told me even before I stepped foot into the elevator what he was planning and I agreed. There's no need to be angry with him."

"He shouldn't have been harassing you at all," insisted Steve, glaring slightly at the clearly-unrepentant genius.

Squeezing his hand, Hermione repeated, "It's alright. While his manners might be somewhat lacking, Tony is harmless."

"Uh, not harmless," Tony interjected. "I am Iron Man after all."

Hermione turned to him with a sigh. "You keep saying that like it's supposed to mean something, even though I clearly told you that I had no idea what you were talking about." Pepper and Clint both started snickering.

"You saw them down in my lab!"

"Those strange suits of armor?" Hermione asked, brows furrowed in thought. "Those things are functional?"

"Yes! I wear them and am able to fly around and help people!" Tony looked so proud.

Biting her lip, Hermione asked, "Those don't happen to run on electricity, do they?"

Tony stared at her with large eyes. "Shit." He jumped up and ran for the stairs.

"I can't believe he forgot about his suits," Clint laughed. "Though, I'm pretty sure they were all older models so maybe it doesn't matter so much if they're broken."

"Maybe not to you," Pepper muttered. "But I'm the one who will have to put up with his whining and his manic self the next month while he tries to build a suit that will work."

"His suits might be fine," Steve offered grudgingly. "Hermione never broke everything before."

"Did you know about this whole 'Iron Man' business?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Fury gave me some information while you were asleep but nothing substantial," the blond reassured her. "If he had, I would have told you but I honestly put it all out of my head afterwards."

"Plus, there was that business with your tests," Clint offered offhandedly, though his sharp eyes were focused on Hermione's reaction.

"What tests?" she asked, glancing between Steve, who suddenly looked a bit guilty, and the agent.

"Your blood tests," came Tony's voice as he reentered. "The suits are fine by the way, thanks for asking. Mostly."

"You didn't give us a chance to ask," Pepper pointed out.

"_My_ blood tests? What blood tests?" Hermione demanded.

"What blood tests, indeed." Plopping back down onto the floor, Tony picked up a carton of food. "S.H.I.E.L.D. tried to draw some blood to run tests when you first arrived but every time they tried to insert the needle, it would break off when it touched your skin. Though I don't know why they tried to draw blood in the first place- you didn't have any DNA on file so it's not like they could have been doing it to check your identity." Glancing sideways at Clint, Tony asked, "Gonna weigh in there at all, Barton?"

"I'm an agent, not a doctor. I have no idea what they were looking for." His expression was so blank that Hermione couldn't tell if he was lying or not.

"Why didn't Fury say anything?" asked Hermione. Part of her was suspicious of what Fury could possibly have been looking for, but the rest of her wanted to trust the gruff man. Of course he had secrets, he was head of covert agency after all, but that didn't mean he couldn't be trusted or that he meant her harm. She hoped.

Steve still looked uncomfortable. "He said that it was probably your magic trying to protect itself after what happened to your arm." The glowers that suddenly appeared on both Tony's and Pepper's faces told Hermione that they were also aware of what was carved into her skin. "I thought bringing it up would just make you feel uncomfortable and I didn't want you to think that anyone saw you as an experiment or something."

"Like you?" Tony couldn't resist taunting.

Steve tensed up and Hermione suddenly realized her hand was still resting atop his. Pulling away quickly, Hermione snapped, "Were you born with a glowing circle in your chest or did that come later? If so, then I'm not sure you should be casting stones about experiments being done on people."

"Well, this devolved quickly," Clint quipped.

"Because you couldn't resist mentioning things that are none of your business," Pepper reprimanded.

"C'mon, Tony already knew all about it! He was going to mention it himself- I just saved him the trouble."

"He's right, I was going to bring it up," Tony admitted. "Then I was going to offer to check over Mia's bloodwork myself. You know, make sure everything's good."

"How generous," Hermione drawled. "And here I thought chivalry had died."

"I live to defy expectations," Tony winked.

"Well, you'll have to defy them another day," Clint announced, standing up. "We need to be heading back to the apartment."

Also standing, Steve offered his hand to Hermione to help her up. "Thank you for the food," he told Pepper politely.

"Considering I paid for the food, shouldn't you be thanking me?" Tony grumbled, also standing and helping Pepper up.

"Considering Pepper is the one to extend the invitation, she deserves the thanks," Steve shot back.

"Wow, guess when they were thawing you out they forgot to unfreeze your cold, dead heart."

"Cheap shot," Clint told him as he, Steve, and Hermione stepped into the elevator.

Tony slid his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Why make things too difficult for myself? See you later, Mia," he told her with a wink. "Until next time Grandpa Frisbee, Robin Hood."

* * *

"_Will I ever get to meet my father?" Hermione asked, staring up at Val._

"_He'll be here first chance he gets," Val told her. "Promise."_

"_What's he like?" Despite a part of her mind knowing that she was much older than she appeared, Hermione felt like she was truly a child again, about to meet someone and trying to learn everything she could about them so they would like her._

"_Perhaps you should find out for yourself, rather than hearing about it from others."_

_Spinning around, Hermione stared at the tall man standing in the doorway._

"_You're late," Val immediately told him._

"_Time is a bit more relative here," was his response, gaze locked on Hermione. Walking over to them, he knelt down before Hermione and said, "Hello, little one. It is wonderful to see you again."_

"_You've seen me before?" she asked, ducking her head down slightly._

"_Many times, though not nearly as often as I would have liked." Tilting his head down so he could meet her gaze again, he softly told her, "Regardless of whether or not you knew, I stayed as close to you as possible; I wanted to know my daughter as best I could."_

_Unable to help herself, Hermione turned and hid her face in Val's jacket. "Val said you wanted me, but it wasn't safe."_

"_Val?" he repeated, sounding amused. "Is that the name you gave her?"_

"_Figured it would be fitting, considering the nickname you gave me."_

"_It's acceptable, but I wouldn't call it fitting. Your mother was right though, I wanted you very much. I did my best to try and find a way I could keep you with me and still keep you safe- even now I am still searching- but it has taken more time than I would like."_

_Hermione peeked her face out. "Do you still want me?"_

"_Yes," he vowed._

_Fully looking at him again, she asked, "What should I call you?"_

"_Staying in the same vein of your mother, I suppose you may call me Richard."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you all have been having a stupendous weekend! Is everyone super ready for Endgame to come out?! Tickets for opening night finally went up for sale and I definitely bought mine. I'm ready for this.**

**Shoutouts to LyrebirdSong, Lexxxi, Hp17, peachx89, lilphipp, twinklegoesthesea, jcanderson33, KEZZ 1, fringeperson, and Guests for reviewing! I'm glad you're enjoying this story so much and I treasure each and every review you leave me! Thanks for being beautiful people!**

**This chapter is unbetaed so forgive me for any mistakes I may have missed during my read-throughs. **

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_I don't like heights," Hermione told Val and Richard, staring at the cliff's edge dubiously. Objectively speaking, it wasn't even that high up, just about two meters or so above the water that she could hear crashing against the sides of the stone, but younger Hermione was even more terrified of heights than her older-self had been. She didn't know how she was so sure of that though- Hermione's memories had been spotty at best ever since she had come here, to the world Richard had created so that her mind could heal from being hurt out in the real world._

"_Why?" asked Val, kneeling down beside her. It had been Val's idea for the three of them to come swimming here, saying that she had come here a few times before to go swimming. It was strange, this world Hermione found herself in. All it took was a thought and they could travel to wherever they pleased. "There's nothing here that can hurt you."_

"_I don't know," she muttered, looking down and watching her toes scrunching in the grass. "It's not the tallness that I don't like. I like windows."_

_Richard seemed to know what she was afraid of. Bending down next to Val in front of Hermione, he told her, "You are scared of falling but I promise you, no matter what happens, we will be there to catch you."_

_Studying him closely for a moment, Hermione slowly relaxed. "You have to go first," she told Val._

_Smiling brightly at her, Val stood up and ruffled her hair before turning and racing off the edge of the cliff with a short laugh, landing in the water below her with a loud splash. Seconds later, Hermione and Richard heard her shouting, "Alright, who's next?"_

_Taking a deep breath, Hermione smoothed down her hair before following in Val's footsteps and racing towards the edge of the cliff._

* * *

"Alright, sit," Hermione ordered, pointing across the small coffee table in their sitting room.

Steve's brows furrowed a bit but he didn't argue, just stood from his chair by the window and moved to sit down on the floor on the other side of her. "Is everything alright?"

It had been a week since their first meeting with Tony Stark. In that time, Hermione and Steve had gone back almost every day- Hermione because she enjoyed Tony and Pepper's company and their help in getting her caught up on the times and Steve because he refused to leave Hermione alone in the company of Stark. Today was the first day in a while that they had elected to just stay at home, lounging around the apartment for the day.

"Of course," she nodded, smiling softly at him. "It's just… we haven't really gotten a chance to actually get to know one another, not really. We'll discuss things that we've been learning about and insignificant things we're having trouble adjusting to, but we haven't really touched on anything personal." She could see Steve pulling away and she hastened to reassure him. "Nothing truly personal, not if you don't want to, but just simple things. Your favorite food, when your birthday is, or what you wanted to be when you were grown up. The little things that make up Steve Rogers."

Staring down at the table, Steve hesitantly asked, "You want to get to know Steve Rogers?"

He sounded so unsure and the hint of insecurity on his face tugged on Hermione's heart. "I know who you are now- brave, kind, chivalrous, loyal, and unwavering are a few descriptors that come to mind- but I am curious to know what shaped the man you are today."

With a small huff, he muttered, "Is that how they're teaching Captain America in schools today?"

Frowning, Hermione answered, "We didn't really learn about Captain America in school; after all, I grew up in Britain and you're just a fancy American."

Unable to stop a laugh from escaping, Steve repeated, "A fancy American, huh? That's not the worst description I've heard. But you said-"

"I wasn't talking about Captain America, I was talking about Steve. The man who never looked at me like I was odd even when I made all the objects in the room start floating or blew out all the lights. Who allowed a scarred girl to stay with him even though he's still struggling with his own demons and who always holds the door open for me and pulls out my chair, not because he's trying to impress anyone, but just because he wants to. A man loyal enough to want to continue helping his country to the best of his abilities even after everything that happened and who will never bend when it comes to something he believes in. That's the man I want to get to know."

Steve couldn't help flushing at her words. "Is that really how you see me?"

"It is. Is that not how you see yourself?"

"Guess not." Struggling to think of something clever to say, Steve ended up blurting out, "How come you don't do more magic?"

Before he could get too far in mentally berating himself, Hermione answered, "I no longer have a wand." At his confusion, she smiled slightly and explained, "For European magic users, we are taught to channel our powers through magical objects- wands. I suppose that's where the stereotype derived from. Other cultures can cast spells without one, but I need a wand to do any real magic. I had hoped to be able to try and procure a new one by now but…" she shrugged, somewhat resigned.

If Hermione was being honest with herself, she wasn't as bothered by her lack of wand as she probably should have been. Having magic might have made certain aspects of life easier before but, for right now, being without it felt much simpler. Also, for some reason that she couldn't quite articulate, the idea of wielding a wand felt almost wrong.

"Is there anything I could do to help?" Steve asked, not exactly sure what he could do but knowing that he wanted to something to help Hermione after all she had done to assist him. Without her, Steve was pretty sure he wouldn't be doing nearly so well in this time as he was now. It wasn't like he was thriving or anything right now, but he also wasn't a reclusive mess, as Stark had once put it.

"No, thank you though, but it's really alright. I don't need a wand at the moment and should the need for me to have one arise, I'm sure Clint will appear and drag me off on Fury's orders."

Laughing, Steve asked, "How's that going, by the way? Have you managed to convince Clint to teach you archery in addition to the mandated hand-to-hand combat training?"

Hermione glowered at him. "Yes, though by the time we're done training I'm usually too tired to even be able to hold the bow up properly. I still don't know why you weren't allowed to train me- I've seen you down in the gym and you clearly know what you're doing."

He blushed, remembering when Hermione had walked in on him taking his frustration out on a punching bag- without a shirt on. Steve wasn't sure who had blushed more, Hermione or himself, but he couldn't forget the look in her eyes as she'd stared at him before mumbling an apology and racing out of the room. "It was the right call; I would never have been able to fight you without hesitating and I would be too worried about hurting you to actually train you properly."

"Considering how often Clint takes me down, that might not be the worst thing," Hermione couldn't help muttering. "Enough of that though! We have gotten way off track! Today is about getting to know one another better and to aid with that-" Picking a bag up off the floor, Hermione set it on the table between them with a flourish.

Peering into it, Steve shot her a bewildered look. "Juice?"

Blushing, Hermione said, "Well, I'm not the legal drinking age here and it seemed to me that you aren't a huge fan of alcohol since I've never seen you with any even though this is certainly a situation that would drive a person to drink. I was at the shop and I saw the overly large juice aisle and decided to go with it. Everyone's been telling us that we should enjoy all the new wonders of the modern world."

"And that wonder is juice?" Pulling out one bottle with a frown, he read, "Naked Juice: Green Machine? Seriously?"

"I've been told it's quite a popular."

"So, what? We just talk and drink juice?" Steve really did want to get to know Hermione better but he was well aware of how socially-awkward he could be and the idea of just trying to force a conversation on the spot left him feeling a little anxious.

Luckily for him, Hermione felt the same and had come up with a different plan. "No, we're going to play a game. At first, I thought about making you play 'Truth or Drink' but decided to just play it safe with 'Two Truths and a Lie'. The name basically tells you how to play- you say two truthful things about yourself and one lie and if the other person guesses which is the lie, you have to drink. If they get it wrong, they have to drink. Not too hard, right?" When Steve hesitantly nodded in agreement, Hermione continued, "Good! I'll start then. Let's see… I went to school in a castle, my favorite color is pink, and I once touched a baby dragon. Now, which one is the lie?"

Steve's jaw dropped. "You held a baby dragon?! Dragons are real?!"

"I don't know," Hermione teased. "Did I?"

"Apparently you did, because I know that pink is not your favorite color; Tony gave you that pink drink from Starbucks once and you looked like he had just handed you one of his phones and made you promise not break it."

"That thing he calls a phone is small, fragile, and see-through! It's see-through, Steve! It is the most useless piece of equipment I have ever seen and I don't know why he even thought to invent it! I mean really, what happens if you lose it? How on earth would you find it again?"

Grinning widely at her indignant expression, Steve pulled a juice out of the bag at random. "So, since I guessed the lie right, I get to pick the drink for you, correct? So, here you go, enjoy your… spicy tomato juice. That's just wrong."

Wrinkling her nose, Hermione accepted the bottle. "Fine. Here goes nothing." Twisting off the cap, she held the bottle up to him in a mock toast. "To the glory of modern times!" She took as small a sip as possible and then had to force herself not to gag. "That is terrible."

"Kinda figured it would be just from the name. So, a baby dragon?"

"Yes, a baby dragon. My first year at Hogwarts, the school for magic I went to, the groundskeeper won a dragon egg at a card game in a nearby pup and we were able to watch it hatch. Of course, it was illegal for him to have a baby dragon in his possession since they are considered very rare and only supposed to live in sanctuaries around the world. We ended up having to sneak it out of the school to individuals who worked as Dragon Keepers in Romania."

"That's amazing." Steve shook his head in awe. "I can't believe dragons are real. Wish I could see one for myself."

A look of consideration flashed across Hermione's eyes for a moment before disappearing and she responded, "They are the very definition of cute but deadly when they're young. It's your turn now."

Shifting uncomfortably for a moment, Steve thought about what to say before finally telling her, "Alright, I tried to enlist for the army seven times before finally be accepted, my best friend is named Bucky, and I like to write."

Hermione instantly replied, "You hate to write- you much prefer drawing, though, until you let me see some of your work, I can't say for sure if you're good or not if someone were to ask me."

"You, not being able to answer a question?" Steve joked. "Shocking."

Rolling her eyes, Hermione asked, "Your best friend's name is Bucky? Is that really what he was named?" She pulled out a juice at random- carrot juice- and handing it to him

Shaking his head, Steve forced back a wave a sadness at the thought of his oldest and closest friend as he stared at the bottle in his hands. "No, his real name was James Buchanan Barnes but he preferred to be called Bucky."

"What was wrong with James? James is a fine name."

"Bucky always said it was too stuffy- the name of an old, straight-laced codger."

Hermione laughed. "He considered himself a bit of a rebel, did he? What on earth was he doing hanging around you?"

"Hey, I'm the one who kept things interesting!"

"Somehow, I think you have a very different idea of what interesting looks like when compared to the idea held by others."

* * *

Hours later, the pair had moved on from their game to just asking each other questions as they lay sprawled on the floor. "What's shocked you the most since waking up?" Hermione asked.

"The clothes," Steve instantly replied. "I'm not sure when wearing as little as possible became a style, but I can't say I like it."

"Agreed. I don't know how some of the women can stand to wear skirts so short- I'd be scared about wind."

"What about you?" he asked. "I know you weren't gone as long as I was, but it still seems like a lot has changed in even the past 10 years. What surprised you the most?"

Staring up at the ceiling, Hermione finally said, "Is it odd if I say that the thing that surprised me the most has been you?" Turning her head to look at him, she continued, "Time travel isn't something unfamiliar to me, Time Magic is something studied in Wizarding Britain at least, and the technological advances are strange and a little overwhelming but still not all that shocking. You though, you're something I could have never imagined. You… every time I start to feel stressed or sad or like I'm choking on my own thoughts, you're there to pull me out and re-center me. Even when I feel like I have nothing at all, I know I still have you. Is that strange?"

Swallowing down a lump in his throat, Steve murmured, "No, it's not strange. I understand; I don't know what I'd be doing if you weren't here. It's funny though, I said something similar to Bucky once. It's strange to think that I'm someone who's actually being helpful instead of needing all the help."

"Will you tell me about him?" Hermione asked, staring back up at the ceiling. "Bucky?"

"He's… my best friend. We met when we were kids. I was getting beat up in the alley by our school and then, out of nowhere, Bucky showed up and scared the other kid off. Helped me get cleaned up and then lied to the teachers about where we'd been and that was it. He always had my back when I would get into fights, he was the most loyal guy you'd ever meet, and he was ridiculously popular with the ladies- never went out for an evening without a dame on his arm.

"After the war started, Bucky got drafted and I so jealous of the fact that he was going to be able to fight and I wasn't. Stupid thing is, Bucky never even wanted to fight. He was scared and was being forced to go against his will and I was _jealous_ of him. Then, I became Captain America and went to Europe and found out his whole unit had been attacked and captured by a group of HYDRA soldiers. I went to go save him and found out they'd been performing some sort of experiment on him while he was being held, but he never said what exactly happened to him. He joined the team I was leading to wipe out HYDRA bases around Europe and it got him killed in front of me. All those times he saved me, and I couldn't save him when it mattered."

The pain in his voice was so clear and Hermione sighed. "It wasn't your fault, Steve. I may not know what exactly happened, but I know it wasn't your fault."

"You can't know that," Steve snapped. "You can't know-"

"He was your friend! Bucky was your friend! From what you've said, he spent years having your back and you had his. Would you have died to save him?" The look in Steve's eyes was answer enough. "If you would have died for him, if you were willing to go running into enemy territory in order to try and save him even without there being any guarantee that he was still alive and there, why would you think he wouldn't do the same?"

The tension dissolved from Steve abruptly then as a similar conversation played in his mind. The irony of it all made him chuckle.

"What?" Hermione asked frowning, sitting up so that she could see him better.

"I had a pretty similar conversation with Peggy before… before. It was right after our base camp had done a short service for Bucky. I was sitting in a bar, trying to get drunk, when Peggy showed up and tried to convince me that it wasn't my fault. And here I am again, sitting around drinking, thinking about Bucky, and a pretty dame is sitting next to me trying to convince me it wasn't my fault. Kind of funny, is all."

Hermione might have both pleased and embarrassed to hear Steve call her pretty if it wasn't for the fact that he was comparing her to Peggy. "Strange how that goes," was all she said though before standing up. "I think I'll turn in for the night- I have training with Clint early in the morning," she explained at Steve's questioning look.

Also standing up, in a quick move far more graceful than Hermione's, Steve stared at her with furrowed brows. "Is something wrong?"

Shaking her head, Hermione forced back all unpleasant thoughts so that the smile she gave him was easy and relaxed. "No, everything's fine- I promise. Thank you, for going along with my idea; it's been nice being able to just talk to one another without history lessons or S.H.I.E.L.D. agents or Tony hanging over us."

Tension easing at her reassurance, Steve smiled back at her, bright blue eyes unshadowed for once. "Yeah, I've enjoyed it too. Are you going to Stark's in the afternoon tomorrow?" At her nod, he told her, "I'll pick you up at S.H.I.E.L.D. then and we can go over together."

She knew better than to try and argue with him, so Hermione just nodded and smiled at him one last time with a soft, "Goodnight," before heading into her room.

"Sweet dreams," he answered, too quiet for her to be able to hear. Heading into his own room, Steve sat down on his bed, turned on the lamp on his nightstand as he pulled out his sketchbook, and settled back against the headboard as he started drawing.

* * *

"You're distracted," Clint commented as his leg swept out and brought Hermione down hard on her back.

She knew better than to respond, instead rolling away and jumping up, warily watching the archer to try and decipher what his next move would be. When he came at her again with a blow to the head, she managed to block him while shifting back at the same time to avoid a punch to her stomach. Grabbing his wrist, she yanked him forward slightly while he was still leaning towards her and brought her knee up.

"Shit," swore Clint, having to throw himself out of the way, which was precisely what Hermione wanted. Shifting her foot to wrap around his ankle, Hermione tripped Clint and then instantly moved forward so that, as he was automatically moving to get up, she was able to get a clear shot of his face, only pulling her kick once she was less than an inch away.

"Any complaints now?" she panted, taking a few steps away.

"Yeah," he answered. "First you were obviously distracted and then you became absolutely pissed. That may have worked now, but it won't always. You need to control your emotions."

Hermione didn't know why that statement upset her so much but she could feel herself almost vibrating with anger.

When she didn't respond to him, just stood there silently stewing, Clint sighed and waved her off. "Go shower before Rogers gets here." Hermione turned and left without a word.

_Control your emotions._

_Don't overreact._

_It's not a big deal- why're you getting so upset?_

_You need to relax._

Things she had heard her entire life and that all meant basically the same thing- that she shouldn't feel what she felt, that she was in the wrong, and Hermione had never been able to understand why. Why was it so wrong for her to be angry or sad when something upset her? Why shouldn't she be allowed to react when things hadn't gone according to her plan? Harry got to throw ridiculous temper-tantrums over things without anyone batting an eye, Ron was cruel and lashed out at the slightest of provocations, but anything that troubled her was dismissed as nonsense.

After her shower, Hermione changed into a clean pair of sweats and an MIT hoodie she had stolen from Tony, knowing that he would complain about her fashion sense but unable to care. Stepping out of the locker room, she immediately spotted Steve sitting on a bench a ways down the hall looking extremely uncomfortable. Leaning over him was a tall blond agent who was clearly flirting with Steve, despite the fact that he appeared to be wishing he was anywhere but there.

Hermione was done. Absolutely done.

"Steve," she greeted as she walked towards them. "I hope you weren't waiting too long."

He looked relieved to see her as he slid over slightly away from the blond and stood up, walking quickly to Hermione's side and automatically taking her bag from her. "No, not too long. How was training?"

Shrugging, Hermione told him, "It went." Peering past him to look at the now frowning female, Hermione said brightly, "Hello."

"Hello," the other woman returned flatly before looking at Steve again with a slightly warmer expression. "Anyway, let me know if-"

"Thanks," Steve hastily interrupted. "But I'm good." Placing a hand on the small of Hermione's back, he continued, "We need to be going."

The woman gave Hermione a look that she was, unfortunately, very familiar with during her time with Viktor. "And where are you off to? Nowhere important, I assume."

Hermione smirked in response to the woman's look at her clothes. "Don't worry, I'll be out of these clothes as soon as we get home."

The woman's eyes widened, and Steve seemed to be suppressing a laugh beside her. "Have a nice day," he told her once he'd regained control of himself and quickly ushered Hermione away.

Once they were out the building, he looked at Hermione and asked, "So, you'll be out of those clothes as soon as you get home, huh?"

She gave him a blank look in response. "Of course; Tony will throw a fit as soon as he sees me and then Pepper will whisk me away to play dress-up."

Steve frowned. "You consider Stark Tower as home?"

"As much as the flat, I suppose," Hermione shrugged. "At least at the Tower, we're all openly aware that JARVIS is recording everything. I wonder how often S.H.I.E.L.D. has to sneak in to replace their bugs," she mused.

"Bugs?"

"Oh! Bugs are what small recording devices are called that can be placed discretely on someone's person or in a room. They are as small as an insect- hence the name."

"You think S.H.I.E.L.D. is listening to us in our apartment?" Steve seemed supremely uncomfortable at the thought- not that Hermione could blame him.

"Well, they are an intelligence agency and we are what might be considered two unknown factors," Hermione said diplomatically as they climbed into the car waiting for them, courtesy of Tony.

"Hey guys!" greeted Happy from the front seat. "How was your training, Mia?"

"Well enough," she answered politely. "How was your morning?"

"Great! Escorted Miss Potts on a few errands before coming here; I think she wanted to make sure to get everything she needed done for the day out of the way before you guys came over."

Hermione sighed, wondering what exactly Pepper had planned for them. Glancing down at her attire, Hermione wished she had brought the clothes Pepper had gifted to her previously to change into. At least then she wouldn't be able to comment on the lack of things provided by S.H.I.E.L.D. before dragging her shopping, as she done two times in the past week. She wasn't sure if Pepper just loved to shop or enjoyed stealing Tony's credit card, but Hermione did not have as much fun on those outings as the redhead did.

Steve, however, thought she was sighing for a different reason. "Stark still doesn't know your name, huh?" he whispered to her so Happy couldn't hear them. He knew the cheerful bodyguard would be embarrassed to hear that he had been calling Hermione by the wrong name and he didn't want to make him feel bad. Stark was to blame for this anyway.

"I really don't mind," she reminded him, having had this conversation before. Quickly changing the subject, Hermione asked, "Who was the girl back there?"

"The blond? No idea. She came up and started talking to me while I was waiting for you."

She frowned. "Did she say if she knew who you were?"

"Why?" Steve asked with a small smile. "You jealous?"

Hermione gave him a disapproving look. "Because, if she did speak with you knowing who you are, then she's probably only interested in being able to say she spoke with Captain America."

Unsure if he should be offended by that, Steve probed, "And if she didn't know who I was?"

"Then I imagine she was asked to speak with you. I doubt a good agent would decide to start…abruptly speak with a strange man who clearly doesn't belong there without any ulterior motives."

"Clearly doesn't belong?" Steve repeated.

"You aren't dressed as an agent or in workout attire- the most obvious Wally of the S.H.I.E.L.D. offices."

"Wally?" asked Happy, not bothering to pretend he wasn't eavesdropping.

"As in 'Where's Wally?', the children's series. Illustrations of various places and you have to try and find Wally- red and white striped shirt, glasses, hat? It's a popular series, or at least it was."

"You mean 'Where's Waldo?'?" Happy asked.

Hermione stared at the back of his head. "No, I mean Wally. Is that what it's called here? Did you people change the name of the character? That makes no sense!"

"Yep, he's called Waldo here," their driver told them cheerfully. "There is a beloved children's character here named WALL-E- he's a robot that collects garbage."

Glancing over at Steve, Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he just shrugged his shoulders. Apparently, WALL-E was a relatively new character. Luckily for them, they had arrived at Stark Tower.

Happy jumped out of the car as soon as he had come to a stop and applied the brake, hurrying around to open the door and assist Hermione in stepping out. "Are you coming up with us?" Hermione asked.

"Nah, I have to run one more errand for Pepper," Happy told her. "You kids have fun."

Hermione smiled as Steve nodded and thanked Happy for escorting them before they headed into the building. Once they were safely ensconced in the elevator, Steve picked back up their conversation. "You never answered my question."

"What question?" she asked warily.

"Were you jealous earlier?"

She glared at him, wishing the elevator would go faster; it felt like it was going uncommonly slow right then. "Jealous of what? There's nothing to be jealous of!"

"You did get a little possessive back there," Steve teased. "Could have been worse though, at least you didn't try to shoot me."

It only took Hermione a second to realize from the fond smile playing across Steve's lips that he was thinking about Peggy. She turned back to face the elevator doors, thinking that, if Steve had acted the same way with the former agent as he did her, she couldn't blame her for wanting to shoot him.

The elevator finally came to a stop and Hermione quickly exited, ducking past a waiting Tony and hurrying off before he could comment on her clothes. Steve watched her rush off in confusion.

"Man," Tony greeted Steve, "I guess it's true- you really are terrible with women."

"What are you talking about?" Steve asked, reluctant to engage with Stark.

"Here's a tip for you, don't talk about other women when trying to flirt with someone; girls don't really like when you constantly bring up your ex."

Scowling, Steve demanded, "Were you listening to our conversation? Did you bug the elevator?" Now that he knew that was a possibility, Steve could feel his paranoia increasing.

"Of course not," Tony exclaimed. "It's my elevator, I have no need for bugs. I have cameras." Shaking his head in amusement as Steve continued to glower at him, Tony added, "I don't know why you're acting surprised; Hermione told you that I have JARVIS watching everything in the tower."

"That was while we were at S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"Yeah, what's your point?" It was so easy to rile the do-gooder soldier up and Tony couldn't deny how much he enjoyed doing so.

"I may have missed a few things over the years, but even I know that's illegal." Steve couldn't believe that Stark was so reckless and disrespectful.

Tony smirked. "It's only illegal if they catch you." He left then, striding quickly to where he knew Hermione was hiding in order to avoid Pepper's fussing.

Steve watched him leave with a frown, considering what Stark had told him and wondering if it would be a mistake to take any advice from the reputed man-whore.

* * *

"_She's too young!" Val hissed, as quietly as possible. They had spent the entire day with Hermione, swimming for a bit before having a picnic and allowing her to roam around exploring the cove. The young girl, beyond exhausted by the time they had returned home, had gone to bed without a fuss after eating dinner and taking a bath._

_Val still found it strange how Hermione was able to sleep while here, despite the fact that this was already a dream-world of sorts. Richard had explained that her sleeping here allowed for her mind to actually rest, to go into a deep-sleep state that would allow her mind to continuing healing and putting itself back together._

"_No, she's not," Richard responded calmly. "I was even younger than her when I first began to train."_

"_I don't care how young you were- that has nothing to do with this!" Taking a deep breath, Val forced herself to calm down before continuing, "Mia has been through a traumatic experience and right now, what she needs to be allowed to do is to have fun and recover."_

_It was Richard's turn to grow upset. "You of all people know what is coming for her. We cannot just sit by and do nothing to prepare her!"_

"_I didn't say we wouldn't prepare her, I just said we wouldn't be doing any formal training right now. There are other ways of working out than staying locked up in a training room. We'll play games outside with her and teach her strategy by teaching her things like chess and going on scavenger and treasure hunts. We'll go swimming and hiking in the woods to help her stay active. We can let her be a kid and still learn skills that will help her later."_

_Richard walked over to the table and sat down with a sigh. "You're right, she should be allowed to enjoy her childhood again, the way she was unable to the first time. I would not wish to subject my child to the one I had."_

_Val could understand that feeling. "Agreed."_

_It was quiet for a moment and then Richard spoke up again, voice softer than before. "You still call her Mia?"_

"_Not to her face," Val answered sadly. "It's just… that's how I thought of her for so long, that was the name I used ever since I first saw her moving on that ultrasound screen. While her adoptive parents may have given the name Hermione, she'll always be Mia to me."_

"_I know," he told her, dejectedly. "When they first told me what they were going to name her, my initial response was that I was glad that Mia could be used as a nickname and hoped that they would refer to her as such. They never did though."_

"_That was probably for the best; a clear slate is what we wanted for her."_

"_Yes, too bad it wasn't enough to protect her," Richard said bitterly._

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N): Welcome back loyal readers! Hope you guys are having a fantastic weekend! I have returned with the latest chapter of _It Starts With Why_. **

**Couple of things I want to go over here. First, ****I know some of you are confused with the name Mia and I just**** wanted to explain that it's pronounced My-a, not Me-a, and it is a fandom nickname for Hermione. Some people just go with Mi, but I preferred Mia. Second, had a couple of questions about the timeline. This is following the Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline, I have not changed anything. According to the MCU, Steve was found and unfrozen towards the end of 2011, about 6-7 months before the beginning of _The Avengers_ movie. Hermione was found a few weeks after Steve woke up and these chapters you are currently reading are in the months before the start of the movie. We're moving along here though!**

**Shoutouts to KateKat1992, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, Spinalittleglow, , Elizabeth, KEZZ 1, fringeperson, Lexxxi, Hp17, noise95, jlove34, angel897, anthraquinblue, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are rockstars and nobody deserves you!**

**This chapter is unbetaed so apologies if any mistakes are found.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_What are we doing out here?" Hermione asked, staring around the forest with wide eyes. She'd never seen trees that tall before and they made her feel even smaller._

"_We're going to play hide and seek," Val answered, kneeling down and smiling brightly at Hermione. "You and I are going to be on a team and together we'll try and find Richard."_

_She stared up at Val with a frown. "Here? In the forest? But, how will we find him?"_

_Val tugged on one of Hermione's curls with a fond smile. "It'll be hard, but we're smart. We just have to look around for clues."_

_Biting on her lower lip for a moment, Hermione finally nodded and looked up at Richard. "You're not allowed to cheat," she instructed him, placing her hands on her hips. "You can't change hiding places when we get close to finding you. And no hiding in the trees! You have to stay on the ground."_

_Richard smiled faintly at her. "As you command. Now, I believe you need to close your eyes and count to twenty while I go hide."_

_Hermione nodded seriously, turning back to Val. "You have to cover your eyes so you don't peek."_

_Swallowing down a laugh at the girl's serious tone, Val nodded and covered her eyes. "Alright. You have to count though."_

_As Hermione counted, Val could hear Richard moving away from them. She hoped he remembered her instructions about making it easier for Mia to find him the first few times they did this. She need to learn basic tracking skills before he started actually hiding from them._

"…_20!" Hermione cheered. "Ready or not, here we come!"_

* * *

"Mia, did you steal Tony's tools?" Pepper called as she strode into the living room. "And another one of his sweatshirts?" she continued with a grin when she saw Hermione sitting on the couch reading a book Pepper had lent her, the girl's thin frame swallowed up by her boyfriend's hoodie.

Mia jumped slightly and looked up. "Um… yes to the first and no to the second."

Pepper raised an eyebrow. "No, huh? Funny, I could've sworn that I saw that exact hoodie shoved into one of Tony's drawers just the other day."

"I'm sorry, Pepper, but you must be mistaken," Mia smiled with just a hint of mischief in her eyes. "This is absolutely my jumper."

Rolling her eyes, the redhead decided to let it go, knowing that Tony would be more than happy to squabble about it later. "Mind telling me where you put his tools? And why you took them in the first place?"

"He was annoying me," Mia told her simply. "Also, I remember him complaining that the other kids were always stealing his toys and I decided to take that suggestion and run with it." Pulling a piece of paper from her pocket, she held it out towards Pepper. "If you're not too busy, would you mind giving this to Tony?" Once Pepper had nodded and taken the paper with a confused expression, Mia cheerfully added, "Tell him 'Happy Hunting' from me."

It took Pepper a moment to realize what had happened and she laughed loudly. "You do know he has other tools?" she reminded once she had regained control.

"I do, but I also know that these are his favorite tools. Besides, it's not like Tony could ever turn down a challenge."

"Too true," Pepper sighed before leaving the room to deliver the message to Tony.

Hermione returned to her book, happily re-ensconcing herself into _The Da Vinci Code_. When Pepper had first started offering her fiction books to read, Hermione had been a little hesitant. There were so many nonfiction books currently on her to-read list at the moment and taking the time to read a fiction book felt a bit frivolous. However, Pepper had been insistent, pointing out that reading fiction books would help her get caught up with the changing culture and ideas of the time she was in. Once Hermione had started reading the offered books, she was glad to have taken the older woman's advice. It was nice being able to take a break from cramming as many textbooks as she could as quickly as possible- especially considering how much had happened in the relatively short amount of time she had been gone.

Just as Robert Langdon figured out the code to the cryptex, Hermione felt a tap on her shoulder. Jumping slightly, Hermione barely managed to stay seated while she turned around to see who had come up behind her. "Steve! You startled me!"

"Hey," he greeted, giving her a small smile. "Good book?"

"Very." Hermione marked her page with a bookmark before shutting the novel and placing it on the table, giving him her full attention. "Is everything alright? You left rather early this morning."

He nodded. "I was working out in the gym before my class at S.H.I.E.L.D. and then went for a walk. I, uh, got you this."

She took the white bag he was holding out to her with surprised expression. "For me? You didn't have to…" she opened the bag and her face lit up. "Doughnuts!"

"Yeah, from that place Stark went to last week that you said you loved." Steve ran a hand through his hair. "Seemed like you had a pretty rough night last night and I thought you could do with a little comfort food, as Pepper put it."

Hermione froze in the middle of unpacking the bag and stared up at Steve. "You… how…"

"I heard you?" Steve cleared his throat, well aware of how embarrassed Hermione would be to know that he had heard her during the night. "It sounded pretty bad."

"It was just a nightmare," she murmured, looking away. "You know how it is; you're not getting much sleep either."

Steve winced. She was right, he wasn't getting too much sleep. After being asleep for almost 70 years, the whole practice had lost its appeal. "That I do. You know… you don't have to stay in your room if you can't sleep. The living room is common space- you can watch a movie or read or something out there if you want. Sometimes staying in your room can be a little confining, at least for me."

He was trying so hard to reach out to her, Hermione knew that. She knew that her attitude the last few days towards Steve had been unjustified. Steve was allowed to live his life however he wished to. In fact, it would probably be best for him to branch out beyond her and connect to other people. It still hurt though, the thought of Steve leaving her.

"I feel like I'm intruding," she admitted. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable in your own flat."

Sighing, Steve moved to sit down beside her. "But it's not just my place, Hermione, its ours. The apartment is your home too for the time being. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable and if I've done something to-"

"No!" Hermione hastily interjected. "No, Steve, it's nothing you've done. I suppose… at Hogwarts, we lived in dorms and I had four roommates. They all paired off and I was sort of the odd-man out. They would be hanging out in our room and it was uncomfortable for me. It's different, I know, but I'm still used to just staying out of the way."

"You're not in the way." Steve couldn't help feeling upset for Hermione. "That sounds like it was a bad deal for you, but that's not how it is now. I like having you around," he quietly admitted, blushing a little. "It's nice seeing your things lying around; nice reminder that I'm not alone, you know?"

Hermione blushed slightly too. "Alright then." She turned back to the doughnuts. "Will you join me? Or do you have to be going?"

"Thought I'd hang around for a bit, if you're not busy." Steve sat back and smiled slightly as he watched the brunette carefully pull out the container of mini doughnuts and tiny plastic bowls of caramel sauce and chocolate sauce. "Bucky would have loved those as much as you," he abruptly told her.

Making sure to keep her tone light, she asked, "Was he a fan of sweets?"

"Yeah." Steve swallowed down a lump in his throat. "He would've eaten enough to make himself sick if he could. Couldn't afford to eat too much of them though."

"The variety offered nowadays is amazing," Hermione commented, dipping a doughnut into the caramel sauce first and then the chocolate. "Tony dragged Pepper and I to Walmart several days ago- it was a horrifying experience."

Steve chuckled. "Yeah, I went to the mall earlier after I was done at S.H.I.E.L.D. and it was a, uh, different experience."

"How are your classes? Are the S.H.I.E.L.D. approved history classes an enlightening experience?" Hermione dipped another doughnut and carefully passed it to Steve.

"I guess… I don't know. There's a lot of information being thrown at me in a short amount of time and sometimes it just doesn't make any sense." Popping the doughnut in his mouth, Steve was distracted for a moment by the burst of flavors. Bucky would have absolutely gone crazy for these.

Frowning, Hermione asked, "What doesn't make any sense? Can you give me an example?"

"The Cold War," Steve offered immediately. "I get the basic overview of what they're saying, but it almost felt like details were being left out on purpose. The books we read went more in-depth over it than the instructor they provided did."

Hermione stared down, mind easily able to see the implications of what Steve was saying. "Well, don't let Tony hear you complaining unless you want to be forced into doing lessons with me," was all she said to him.

"Training sessions with Barton, lessons with Tony, you're really branching out," Steve commented lightly, hiding his discontent. It was good for Hermione to be branching out, but Steve couldn't help the pit in his stomach at the thought of her leaving him behind.

"You haven't exactly been sitting at home yourself," she responded, looking over at him. "And most days, I feel like it's less 'training with Barton' and more 'getting thrown around while constantly reminded not to get upset'. And I only have lessons with Tony if he remembers them long enough to pull himself away from whatever project he's working on. Pepper is usually the one helping me- though her focus is now more on culture than history. And shopping, an unfortunate amount of shopping." Hermione made a face.

"So that's where all the bags came from," Steve joked. "You guys must have been buying a lot of stuff."

"Pepper has been buying a lot of thing," she corrected. "I am just the unfortunate recipient of her shopping addiction. I know I shouldn't complain," Hermione hastily added, looking at Steve with wide eyes and hoping he wouldn't think she was rude or ungrateful. "It's just that Pepper has gotten it into her head that I need a whole new wardrobe and it feels a bit excessive."

"I get it," he reassured her. "Still, must be nice to have that assurance that what you're wearing is actually 'modern' clothes. The stuff S.H.I.E.L.D. provided was a bit… eclectic. It was a good thing you at least could tell me what had gone out of style so that I wouldn't stand out too much when going anywhere."

Smirking, Hermione told him, "Even in modern clothes, you still draw attention to yourself. The amount of women and even some men staring when we went out a few days ago and you were wearing jeans was something to behold."

He flushed. "When did you start dropping comments like that?"

"That was all me- I take all the credit for that," Tony called as he appeared in the room, making Hermione jump slightly. "What I do not take credit for, is that mischievous attitude." He leaned over the back of the couch next to Hermione. "C'mon now, 'fess up: where'd you hide them?"

"Hide what?" Hermione asked, feigning innocence.

"Don't play dumb. I need those tools."

"And I need you to stop setting fires," she shot back while Steve frowned at them.

"It was one fire and it wasn't even that big!" Tony argued.

"It was my hair, Tony! It was my hair!"

"You did what?" Steve demanded, studying Hermione's hair closely. Now that he was looking, it did appear to be a few inches shorter.

"Details," Tony waved her complaint off. "It wasn't even that much hair and I immediately put it out. And you do realize that I can just ask JARVIS to tell me where you hid them?"

Hermione caught Steve's glower out of the corner of her eye and mentally groaned, unwilling to deal with their bickering right then. "It is that attitude that made me decide to create a treasure hunt with your tools. Feel free to ask JARVIS where I hid them; he won't tell you a thing."

Shaking his head sadly, Tony said, "After everything I've done for you- took you in, fed you, clothed you, gave you the means to gain knowledge, and this is how you treat me."

She gave him an unimpressed look. "You do realize that I don't live here, right? And Pepper is the one who consistently makes sure that both of us are fed and she's the one to drag me off shopping. As for the knowledge bit, I'm not sure forcing me to watch a comedian with talking dolls really counts as teaching me anything."

"Hey now, Jeff Dunham is a cultural phenomenon!"

"And that says a lot about American culture." Hermione turned back to Steve and nudged him with her foot. "I'm going to find somewhere quieter to read. Do you want to come with me or help Tony on the hunt for his tools?"

Steve stopped glaring at Stark and turned to look at Hermione. "If it's not a bother…"

Laughing slightly, Hermione stood up and stretched before collecting her book and the doughnuts. "I feel like we're seconds away from repeating our conversation from before."

He smiled sheepishly. "Lead the way."

* * *

"We should have a girl's night," Pepper told her abruptly, pulling Hermione's attention away from the city. They were sitting up on the roof, Pepper having come to join Hermione and Steve once she was finished working. Hermione and Steve had spent several hours relaxing up there by themselves but, once Pepper had appeared, Steve had excused himself to go and find Tony.

It was peaceful up there. They were up high enough that the noise of the city wasn't too loud and it was nice to be able to just sit back and enjoy the feel of the sun on her skin. Even though it was late February and still cold out, the heaters Tony had installed on the roof kept them at a comfortable temperature.

"A girl's night?" Hermione asked, turning her head to stare at Pepper, who was sitting in the lounge chair next to hers.

"Yeah. You've finished reading some of the books I've given you so we can watch the movie adaptations of them or maybe just watch a few of my favorites. We can camp out in the movie room with food and drinks- just unwind after a long week."

"That does sound nice," the brunette admitted. "Are you sure though? Wouldn't rather go out with Tony or something?"

Pepper smiled at her. "Tony and I had to attend several events together this week- I've had enough of Tony for right now. He could join us though, if he wanted to. As long as he promises not to talk all the way through them."

Hermione laughed. "He does seem to be the type of person who would struggle with having to keep quiet for any length of time. Is that why you have an entire theater here?"

"Tony will tell you that it's because he prefers to watch things on his own time but the truth is that he got a lot of complaints when we would go out to the movies and I got tired of him buying the theater in response to someone complaining about him." At Hermione's incredulous look, Pepper added, "It's kind of his thing. He also bought a bar just to piss off a general who threatened to have him removed from it and had it demolished."

"Bet that went over well," she commented, sitting up and sliding off her seat. "I should probably call Clint and check that it's alright for me to stay here overnight before I go find Steve."

Frowning, Pepper said, "I thought the Tower had been deemed safe enough already."

"To spend the day here, yes, but I think the rules are different for overnight visits. Better safe than sorry anyway; it wouldn't be much fun if Clint showed up to scold us for breaking protocol."

"Would it be better to invite Steve to stay the night too?"

Hermione shrugged. "It should be fine but we'll see." Reaching down to grab her bag, Hermione gingerly pulled out her cell phone. Tony had given it to her yesterday, promising that it should survive for at least two weeks. Hermione had her doubts but had quietly accepted with only a dubious expression. Finding Clint's number, Hermione returned to staring out towards the city blankly as it rang.

It was hard to believe that it had already been three or so months since she had woken up. She'd been so busy with studying, readjusting, training. and spending time with Steve, Tony, and Pepper that she hadn't really noticed how quickly time had been passing. Her life now was so different than before but she wouldn't have traded it for the world.

The more time she spent with her friends here in New York, the less she missed the friends she had left behind. It was odd, but the pain of missing everyone had dulled rather quickly, almost as if she had been without them for years rather than just months. Which she technically had, in the literal sense of things.

"_What do you want?" _

"Well, aren't you cheerful sounding today?" Hermione teased.

"_We literally just saw each other yesterday. What, you miss me that much?"_ Clint retorted, but she could sense that he had relaxed slightly, assured that this wasn't an emergency.

"Well of course. My day just doesn't feel complete without sporting a few bruises and the sound of your unwelcome criticisms ringing in my ears."

Clint snorted. _"If that's how you feel, I've got a few critiques I'm more than willing to throw your way right now."_

"I'm good, thanks. I was just wondering if it would be alright for me to spend the night at the Tower."

"_Why? Is something wrong?"_

"No, Pepper and I thought it'd be nice to have a movie night, but I didn't know if it would be alright for me to stay here since S.H.I.E.L.D. is so uptight about security."

"_Uptight? I think you've been hanging out with Stark too much, maybe you shouldn't stay there any longer than necessary," _Clint joked.

"You're the one who said I needed to work on blending in, which includes sounding like other young adults my age." Hermione began to tap her foot on the ground. "So, can I?"

"_I feel like I'm your father right now and you're asking for permission to have a sleepover," _Clint groused. _"Yeah, you can stay there the night. At this point, you don't need permission to stay over there whenever you want; I think Stark can be trusted by this point to not let anything happen to you."_

"You would think," Hermione muttered, combing her fingers through her slightly shortened hair. At least Tony had mostly just burned off the dead ends; it had been a long time since she'd had a haircut. "Is Steve free to leave?"

"_Yeah, no need for him to hang around. Don't want to tempt fate by keeping him and Stark in close proximity."_

"Agreed. See you on Monday. Sorry for interrupting your weekend."

"_No problem. Don't drink or do drugs and remember, pulling out is not an effective birth control method."_

"This is why you have no friends," she told him, hanging up to the sound of his laughter.

"So, everything's good?" Pepper verified, shifting slightly in preparation of standing up.

"Yes. I should probably go let Steve know."

"Probably. And if you could make sure that he hasn't murdered Tony yet, that'd be great. It would be a publicity nightmare if Captain America murdered Iron Man."

* * *

Steve had wandered around the Tower for over an hour looking for Stark before he realized he could just ask JARVIS where he could find the other man.

"Mr. Stark is currently in on his way up from the lobby. It seems Miss Granger hid one of his tools in a plant in the waiting area."

Lips quirking upwards in reluctant amusement, Steve asked the AI, "How many tools has he found so far?"

"Most of the tools have been found, though there are still four left somewhere in the building. If you wish to intercept Mr. Stark, I believe he is on his way to the pool nine floors below us." JARVIS almost sounded amused, if it were possible for AI's to feel amusement. Steve didn't think they could, but he could be wrong.

"Have you been helping him with his search?" Steve walked over to the elevator and pressed the down button.

"I have not. Exercise is good for the body and the soul, after all. Miss Granger is just helping to get Mr. Stark out of the lab."

"If you say so." The doors opened and Steve stepped in, leaning against the back wall as the car travelled downwards.

When the doors opened again, Steve could hear Tony's loud complaints from inside the pool from out in the hall. "This is bullying! JARVIS, please add bullying to the list of reasons why I am way cooler than her."

"Of course, sir," JARVIS intoned, still sounding amused.

Steve walked into the room to find Tony completely stripped down and wading in the pool. "What are you doing?!" he demanded.

Tony lifted up a tool above his head. "Had to nab this off the bottom of the pool." He swam to the side of the pool and pulled himself out. "That girl is crafty, don't let her big eyes fool you. Can't believe she did this. What if this tool was electric? Or what if it rusted?"

"Miss Granger verified that the tool wasn't electric and it was not in the water long enough to rust," JARVIS interjected.

"It's the principle of the thing!" Tony finished wiping himself off with a towel before putting his clothes back on. "Anyway, how can I help you, Vanilla Man?"

"Vanilla Man?" Steve asked, unsure if he actually wanted to know.

"Yeah, you give off a pretty vanilla vibe, if you know what I mean."

Steve didn't know what he meant. "I want to talk about Hermione."

Tony rolled his eyes. "What about her?"

"You set her hair on fire?" Steve questioned, folding his arms over his chest.

"We were doing a science experiment and there was an accident. It happens." Brushing him off, Tony moved past him. "You know how it goes. You've been there."

Holding out an arm, Steve stopped him in his tracks. "You can do whatever you want, but don't get Hermione involved in your crap."

"For your information, the experiment was Mia's idea," Tony snapped. "She wants to take her A-level tests in a few months and has been studying up."

"A-levels?" Steve asked, unsure what they were. Hermione had never mentioned them before.

"Tests British kids take when they're graduating school before starting university," Tony explained. "She told me she wanted to take her A-levels so we've been helping her study."

Steve frowned. "She never mentioned that to me."

"You sure about that? 'Cause I'm thinking that maybe she did, and you just didn't hear her. That's the problem with being stuck in your own head- you tend to miss what's going on right in front of you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Tony sighed, wondering why he was even bothering right now. Then, he thought of Mia and how she kind of reminded him of himself. "You know, you really shouldn't cling to the past."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Steve responded quickly. "It's been a bit slow going recently, but Hermione and I are almost-"

"Hermione is almost all caught up," Tony interrupted. "She's almost fully adjusted to being in a new time period; she's resilient. You, on the other hand, may be getting all caught up history-wise but you are still desperately clinging to your 1940s backstory. If your haircut wasn't enough of a dead giveaway, your grandpa pants would." He sighed. "It's no secret that I have no fondness for you, Rogers, could generally care less about your well-being, but even I can tell that you're not okay. You cannot keep clinging to your past. I get it-"

It was Steve's turn to interrupt. "You get it?" he repeated, voice low. "No, Stark, you don't. You can't. You can't possibly imagine what it's like to resign yourself to dying and then wake up and, instead of you being the one dead, it's everyone else. Forgive me for clinging to my past because without it I have nothing! I've lost everyone I've ever cared about, so it's either hold on to everything from before or accept the fact that I'm alone."

Neither man had noticed that, as they had begun speaking, Hermione had appeared right outside the room, looking for Steve. Listening to them, Hermione felt like someone had reached into her chest and closed a fist around her heart. That was probably the most honest Steve had been about his emotions in the time that Hermione had known him and it hurt. She'd told Steve that she was grateful to have him in her life and now she had absolute proof that he didn't feel the same way.

Stepping out of the doorway, Hermione attempted to keep her expression as calm as possible and her voice clear as she said, "I hope I'm not interrupting…"

Tony looked over at her in surprise while Steve spun around to face her in alarm. "Hermione!" He ran a hand through his blond hair. "How long were you… Did you…"

Giving him a blank look for a moment, Hermione turned back to Tony and said, "Pepper invited me to spend the night here at the tower with her; she has several films for us to watch. I volunteered to let you know and to also inform you that, and I quote, you may either 'watch the movies quietly with us or you can stay out of the theatre room because these movies need to be watched without snarky commentary'."

Scanning her features quietly for a moment, Tony finally smiled and said, "Sure thing. But warn the lovely Miss Potts that, if I don't make an appearance this evening, I will be making a spectacular entrance tomorrow morning when you both least expect it."

"Well, since both of us have learned to expect nothing from you, it shouldn't be too alarming." Hermione turned to go then.

"Hermione?" Steve called out, hesitantly. He didn't know if she had heard him, but he prayed she hadn't. The look in her eyes when she turned back to him killed that hope.

"I've already called Clint and he said it's fine for me to stay the night here on my own since the Tower is safe enough. There's no need for you to stay." And with that, Hermione spun back to the elevator and headed back upstairs.

* * *

_Mia's shriek of laughter echoed throughout the house as she ran away from Val. "I'm gonna get you," the older woman was threatening, fighting back her own laughter in response to her daughter's giggles._

"_No!" Mia shouted, racing into the kitchen and diving behind Richard's legs. "Daddy, help me!"_

_Both adults froze for a moment. It had been over a year since they'd brought Mia here, a dream world where her mind could heal from the torture she had suffered. Since then, they had both spent every moment they could with their daughter, ensuring that she spent as much time as possible awake and rebuilding herself. When they couldn't be there, she would stay asleep, unaware of their absence. It shouldn't have surprised them so much that she finally considered them parents._

_Richard was the first to react, bending down to scoop up Mia. "And just what do you need protecting from?"_

_She wrinkled her nose. "I don't want a bath."_

_It was a struggle to hold back the laugh that wanted to escape at the sight of mother and daughter both wearing the exact same look of stubbornness. "Why not? You love baths."_

"_I don't want to have my hair washed."_

_Glancing over at Val, he raised an eyebrow in question. "You've had your hair washed before with few issues."_

_Mia buried her face in Richard's neck and Val's expression of exasperation turned worried. When Mia had first told her that she didn't want a bath, Val had thought she was just tired and being stubborn. Mia had laughed when Val playfully lunged for her and she'd begun chasing her around the house, hoping she would grow tired enough to not put up a fight. Now, she was worried something else was going on. "What's wrong?" she asked, moving over to Richard and shifting so she could see Mia's face._

_Squirming for a few seconds, Mia finally said, "I don't want you to touch my hair."_

_Richard forced himself to stay relaxed. "Why not?"_

"_I had a bad dream and someone was pulling my hair and now it hurts and I don't want you to touch it."_

_Val didn't visibly react, keeping her expression calm and comforting. She felt like she was going to throw up though. Richard had told her multiple times how important it was for Mia to 'sleep' whenever they weren't there so that her mind could process Hermione's memories and then they could help her deal with them later when they were with her. It didn't mean Val had to like it though._

_It was like they were two different people- Hermione was the hardened child soldier, fighting for her right to exist, and Mia was their wonderful, playful little girl who questioned everything and seemed to blossom under their affection. Val couldn't help worry about who she would become when all of Hermione's memories found their way back to her._

"_Would you feel more comfortable washing your hair yourself?" Val asked, holding out her hands to Mia, desperately needing to hold her daughter right then._

_Mia straightened up and held her hands out, allowing Val to hold her. "I can wash my hair?"_

"_Of course." Val hugged her. "I'll just be there to help if you need it."_

_Thinking about it for a moment, Mia finally nodded. "Okay, Mommy."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N): Hey! Hope you guys are having an enjoyable weekend! For those of you who are celebrating, Happy Easter and Happy Passover!**

**Shoutouts to Hp17, Tajinprincess, LauraB90, JayMJane, JeniNeji, Adharablack85-2, fringeperson, peachx89, KEZZ 1, and jlove34 for reviewing! I love hearing your thoughts on this story and your excitement about where I'm taking it. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! This is a chapter I both love and am very nervous for your responses to.**

**This chapter is unbetaed so any mistakes are mine and I do apologize for them!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Why do I have to train?" Mia complained, picking herself up off the ground. Her father had finally decided that she was old enough to begin training with him and she was not enjoying it._

"_You need to know how to protect yourself," Richard told her, tone taking on a faintly exasperated edge. _

"_But why? You and Mom are here- you won't let anything happen to me."_

_Richard squeezed his eyes closed for a moment. "Should there ever come a time where your mother and I are not able to protect you, we need to know that you can take care of yourself."_

_Mia went quiet. "Is that likely to happen?"_

_He refused to lie to her. "I'm afraid so."_

_She took a deep breath, taking a ready stance again. "Alright. Let's try this again."_

* * *

"What is the point of all these romantic comedies?" Hermione moaned, leaning over the kitchen island and resting her head on folded arms.

"You agreed to it," Tony reminded her cheerfully, sipping his cup of coffee as he flicked through news stories on his tablet. "You could have told Pepper no."

It had been over a month since Pepper and Hermione had their first movie night and it had since become a weekly tradition. Tony usually joined them if he was interested enough in what they were watching to agree to not speak through the entire movie, but it was generally just a girl's night and then the next morning Tony and Hermione would have breakfast together while Pepper slept in.

"Because I didn't realize how invested she would be in them! I thought it would be like when we watched _Pirates of the Caribbean_. Instead, it was just a ridiculous number of movies with that blond actress, Katherine Heigl I think, that ended up making me want to avoid all relationships if that's what they're supposed to be like. They take the opposites attract cliché too far. Besides, it would have been rude to tell her no. She hears that enough from you."

"You wound me," Tony joked, pressing a hand over his heart. "Now I'm not sure you deserve coffee."

Hermione lifted her head up, spotting her favorite mug in Tony's hand. "I will fight you for it."

"You think you could take me?"

"Yes."

Tony handed her the cup. "I promised Pepper not to mess up the Tower, so we'll have to test that out another time."

"Of course," Hermione snorted, gulping down her coffee.

After debating with himself for a moment, Tony finally sighed and pulled a folder out of the top cupboard above the stove. "Barton dropped this off for you."

She blinked, staring between the cupboard and the folder in confusion. "Why…?"

"You're too short to reach up there so there was no chance of you finding it while I was deciding whether or not to give it to you."

Scowling at him, Hermione asked, "Why were you considering not giving this to me?"

"They're articles and reports involving you from the Wizarding World." Tony stared closely at her, watching for her reaction. Her hands had frozen in midair as they reached to take the folder from him, eyes wide with shock and a hint of fear. Mia may have been doing well getting caught up with the non-magical side of things, but she was still avoiding any news from back home. She had even dedicated at least an hour every day to practicing wandless magic just so she didn't have to go into the magical side of New York for a wand- despite Tony practically begging for her to go with him so he could see what it was like for himself.

"Did Clint say anything else?" She couldn't stop staring at the folder. It almost felt like she was meeting the gaze of the basilisk again through her small mirror, knowing that she didn't want to do this but also aware that there was no chance of escape.

"That you needed to have it read by Monday. There's a note for you." He pushed the folder into her hands.

Resting on top was a neon green sticky note with the words _Time to stop running _written in purple ink. "Do you think he got the note and pen from S.H.I.E.L.D. or that Clint just carries these around with him?"

Tony gave her a look telling her that he knew she was dodging right now but wasn't going to press. "Oh, he definitely carries them around himself- those are clearly his colors."

"He has such confidence in his masculinity. You could learn a thing or two from him."

"What is this?" Tony demanded, throwing his hands in the air. "Here I am, trying to be nice to you, and you just keep attacking me. You've even got Pepper turning on me."

"It's the opposite actually," Pepper muttered as she wandered into the room. "I've been teaching Mia how to keep your head from getting too big."

"You're up earlier than usual," Hermione commented as Pepper sank into the stool next to her. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Pepper yawned. "Are you? You seemed pretty restless last night while you were asleep."

Hermione frowned. "I didn't wake you up last night, did I?"

Pepper shook her head. "What were you dreaming about?"

For a moment, it seemed as though Hermione wasn't going to answer them. "Just… moments from my childhood. Playing hide and seek in the woods. A vacation at the beach. The songs they played when trying to teach me how to dance."

"You know how to dance?" Tony asked, already queuing up some music.

"A bit." The memory was a little hazy for her. She could remember the music drifting through the room, her mother's laughter as she they stumbled over their feet, and her father chiding them as he swung Hermione into his arms and taught her the proper steps.

"Well then, Mia, show us what you've got." Music started, a song Hermione didn't recognize, and Tony held out his hand.

"I barely remember anything," Hermione protested, standing up all the same and taking Tony's hand.

Tugging her into the middle of the kitchen, Tony spun her around before pulling her back towards him and attempting to lead her into a dramatic waltz. Pepper was laughing loudly at the spectacle.

"Tony!" Hermione protested, also laughing. "What are you even doing?"

"This is dancing- Stark style. After this, we will foxtrot."

Pulling out her phone, Pepper began to record them, mentally reminding herself to send Steve a copy.

Pepper hadn't known what to expect when she'd met Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America, especially since most of her info was coming from a very bitter Tony. In the beginning though, he had been polite but distant. It wasn't until after Mia began spending more time with them that she'd been able to really get to know the living legend.

After the incident in the pool that had left Mia near tears for almost an hour before she seemed to pull herself together, the young brunette had begun to spend almost every free moment with them at the Tower, her days dedicated to studying in the labs with Tony and her evenings to relaxing with Pepper and Tony for a bit before heading back to the apartment. It hadn't taken long for Steve to also start being seen around the Tower more often, once he and Mia had gotten past whatever issue had come up. It was kind of cute, watching them dance around each other, though Tony went out of his way to make sure that any moments that could even possibly turn intimate between the two were obnoxiously interrupted- either by appearing in person or using JARVIS.

The more that Pepper and Steve were able to talk, the more she started to like him. He was clearly struggling with how to act in today's world and trying to integrate his 1940s attitude with current expectations. While he was generally very serious and tightly wound, as Tony put it, he was gradually beginning to loosen up due to Mia and Tony's presence. Not that Tony was actually doing anything to help him on purpose, more that he learned to tolerate Tony because Mia liked spending time with him.

As Pepper watched Mia giggle and Tony throw his head back with laughter as they danced around the kitchen, she prayed for time. She wasn't stupid enough to think that nothing bad would be coming their way, not after everything that had happened to her and Tony and after all that Mia had endured. But Pepper prayed that they would have more moments like this to hold onto once the bad did come.

* * *

Hermione sat in the living room, staring at the folder resting on top of the coffee table.

She didn't want to open it.

The thought of opening the folder, of picking up the papers within and holding them in her hands as her eyes scanned the words written on them, made her want to vomit.

Opening that folder would be inviting a world of hurt back into her life. It would be unlocking the box of memories she had shoved everything from the Wizarding World into. Metaphorically carving new words into her skin without knowing if they were good or bad.

If she didn't open the folder though, Clint would know and then he would just tell her what it said anyway. Probably while he was beating the crap out of her. And if she waited any longer, Steve would be back and if she was going to do this, Hermione would prefer do it alone.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione opened the folder. On top of the stack of papers was another note. _If you make it all the way to the end, I'll give you back your beaded bag._

Clint had to die.

The headline of the article underneath the note caught her eye. _Boy-Who-Lived Becomes Boy-Who-Won _by Rita Skeeter with the byline: Ronald Weasley stands besides Potter till the end. Hermione Granger was nowhere to be seen.

She would kill Clint after she found and dissected Rita Skeeter with her Quick-Quotes Quill.

* * *

When Steve arrived home hours later, he found Hermione sitting on the couch staring blankly of into space. "Hermione?" She didn't answer him.

Bending down, Steve picked up a newspaper off the floor and stared at the cover._ One Year Since the Disappearance of Golden Girl Granger_. "What is this?"

"Highlights of the Wizarding World," Hermione answered, voice distant.

The emptiness in her eyes worried Steve. "Talk to me," he said, sitting down next to her. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing." She leaned her head back onto the couch, staring upwards for a moment before closing her eyes. "Nothing happened."

"Nothing happened," he repeated dubiously. "If nothing happened, why are you upset?"

"I'm upset _because _nothing happened."

It took a moment for Steve to understand. "Nothing… I thought Fury said the war was won?"

Hermione laughed. "Look around, Steve. Think of everything we've learned about this world. Just because the war is won, doesn't mean that everything becomes better. The side I was fighting for may have won, but the bigotry I sought to end still lives on."

"Your friends-"

"My friends," Hermione spat, eyes flying open as she jumped up. "My friends, a Half-Blood savior and a Pureblood, seemed to be unable to bother doing a thing to change laws that didn't actually affect them." She started gathering papers. "Would you like to hear what they were doing instead? _Boy-Who-Won and Weasley Awarded Order of Merlin, First Class- Accept award in Granger's honor. Weasley Gives Tell All Interview About Relationship with Hermione Granger. Hermione Granger Officially Declared Dead by Ministry- Potter and Weasley hold Memorial Ceremony at Hogwarts._ _Weasley Fights for Access to Granger's Gringotts Vault._" The more headlines she lists, the more she starts to shake. "I think those headlines are enough to give you the knowledge of what those stories are about. Then there are the details sprinkled in. Purebloods running for offices and winning with ease. Purebloods given promotions over other, more qualified candidates because they 'possessed the merits needed in order to hold such a position'. Curriculum changes in Hogwarts, removing Muggle Studies and replacing it with a Wizarding Society class mandatory for all Muggleborns in order to help them 'adjust to their place in society and help them understand the expectations placed on them'. All of these things were either publicly supported by Harry and Ron or were, at the very least, not protested by them." She turned to look at Steve then, eyes wild.

"I died, Steve! I died for this cause that I thought we all stood for but it turns out that I was just fooling myself. I just…" her voice trailed off and she started to hyperventilate.

Jumping to his feet, Steve was beside her a moment later. "Breath," he coached her, putting his hands on his shoulder. "It's okay, Hermione. You're okay. You're here and you're safe."

It took a few moments, but Hermione's breathing finally evened out. "What am I supposed to do?" she finally whispered, staring up at Steve with tear-filled eyes. "What happens when they find out I'm alive? I just… I can't, Steve. I'm going to be expected to support this and when I don't, they're going to villainize me."

"Hey. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. If you don't want to let them know you're alive, then don't. It's not like they're looking for you anymore- as long as you don't turn into Stark, you can stay off the radar for as long as you like."

"Yes, I do. Clint gave me these as a warning, to show me the writing on the wall. He's letting me know that I'm going to have to return to the Wizarding Britain whether I like it or not."

Steve's jaw clenched. "S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't going to just throw you out."

"I'm not you, Steve. I'm not Captain America, the renowned, American hero." Hermione sighed, pulling away from him. "I'm going to shower."

Watching her leave the room with her shoulders slumped, Steve pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before pulling out his phone and placing a call. "Stark? It's Steve. I'm calling about Hermione- I need your help."

* * *

"Rough night?" Clint asked when he saw Hermione the following morning at the training room in S.H.I.E.L.D.

She glared at him with red-rimmed eyes. "No, it was brilliant. Can I have my bag now?"

Clint sighed. "Look, kid, I didn't make you read those things just to be cruel."

Hermione let out a huff of air. "I know. I know why you had me read them, I just wish it hadn't been necessary."

"Me too." He sat down on the mat and gestured for her to do the same. "So, what are you going to do now?"

Taking a moment to sort her thoughts, Hermione began to tell him the plan she had come up with the night before. "I need to visit Gringotts before I do anything. The articles gave me a good start on learning what exactly Ronald was trying to do, but the goblins will be able to explain how he attempted to access my vault and what my options are."

"You want to empty out your vaults before everyone finds out about you?" Hermione should have known that Clint would understand her thought process- he was a covert agent, after all. An assassin. Contingency plans would need to be a specialty.

"There are so many ways this could all go wrong and, right now, I can't even think of one way this ending well for me. Everyone will doubt that I'm actually who I say I am. Even after I've proven myself, I won't be able to explain where I've been the past 14 years and that will cause even more suspicion. People will be torn over what to think until my opinions on my former friends and allies come out. Then, I'll be turned on. Either they'll claim that my mind was damaged by the torture from Bellatrix and I was put under further strain while being held all these years before declaring me mentally unfit and Ronald would most likely be placed in charge of me given all that he has said about us while I was gone. Or, whatever enemies I still have will call me a traitor and fight to have my things seized by the Ministry. Either way, it's best to make sure there's nothing there to be claimed."

Nodding in approval, Clint asked, "What are you going to do with all your money? From the sounds of it, you have quite a chunk of change locked away. Gonna exchange it all for cash or just move it someplace else?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip. "I don't know. This would be easier if I knew someone here with Wizarding ties, I could just have all the money transferred into a dummy account with their name on it. Apparently, that's a common practice amongst the Pureblood's in Britain."

"Well, whatever you decide to do, make sure you can do it fast and do it all at once," Clint warned. "I'm not sure how exactly Gringotts operates, but if it's setup is anything like our banks, the Ministry will be alerted the moment your account is accessed and they'll come running."

"I'll keep that in mind, but I doubt it will be a problem. Goblins hate wizards and the bank is kept separate from the Ministry. It would be up to the goblins to inform anyone if someone were to access to my account, and the chances of them doing so in a timely manner are slim."

"Better safe than sorry," he reminded her. "You're probably right though- no way will they say anything if it'll end up benefiting either Potter or Weasley. Not after the stunt they pulled."

Remembering the article she read, Hermione groaned. "I still cannot believe they broke into Gringotts. That was completely reckless and it sounds as though they made it out of there because of pure luck. And then to refuse to help cover the damages they caused?"

"The way they tell it, the goblins were trying to turn them over to the Death Eaters and they were forced to escape." Clint leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees before eying her closely. "What would you have done if you were there?"

Taking a minute to truly consider the question, Hermione slowly answered, "If I had been there, if I hadn't disappeared from the Manor but instead had escaped when the boys had, I probably would have gone along with their plan. Harry especially could be stubborn when he had an idea," the memory of a nighttime flight to the Ministry and burning pain across her front jumped to the front of her mind and Hermione pushed it away. "I wouldn't have had the fortitude to argue for another plan. However, if the person I am now had been there, I wouldn't have just taken the goblin who had helped them, Griphook's, word. I would have attempted to speak with another goblin about what was hidden in the Lestrange's vault and why it needed to be destroyed. The goblins hated Voldemort because he had taken over the bank after he had taken over the Ministry- goblins are vengeful creatures and might have been willing to help us if our plan was solid enough."

"What if they didn't help you? What if they refused?"

"Then yes, breaking into Gringotts would have been necessary, but not by using Polyjuice. The Thief's Downfall is a well-known security measure of the bank. The water washes away disguises and disrupts spells, but most potions actually aren't affected by it. Polyjuice affects the skin but other potions that only work internally still work. Using the Imperious Curse to make one of the Lestrange's drink a potion that can control them would have been a better alternative."

Clint smiled at her. "There she is. There's the girl described as clever, sneaky, vicious, and unstoppable when searching for answers. Who tries to plan for every possible outcome but can still come up with a halfway decent one on the fly."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Funny, Tony said something similar when we first met. We were in Stark Tower though."

He smirked. "What a coincidence."

Laughing, Hermione admitted, "Part of me wants to tell him about this just to watch him run around in a fit, trying to figure out how you were able to eavesdrop on him."

"Yeah, it would take him awhile to remember we both read the same file on you, wouldn't it?" Clint hopped to his feet. "Alright, let's see how long you last against me this time. If you manage to not land on your ass for at least 15 minutes, I'll take you to the shooting range and help you practice with a bow and arrow."

* * *

Hermione almost bounced out of the locker room hours later. She had managed to go head-to-head with Clint for the required amount of time and, after they spent a bit more time working out, spent the last hour and a half of her training down in the archery range. Considering how there were no other agents there, Hermione was almost positive the entire space was made specially for Clint.

She felt better than she would have expected for such an intense workout. Her arms were a bit sore, but not as much as they had been when she'd first started training. Hermione wasn't sure if her strength and skills development over the last few months were normal. Originally, she hadn't thought anything of it but the considering looks Clint had been giving her recently made her question.

As he had every time before, Steve was waiting for her on a bench a little way down the hall. His sketchbook was in his lap and his brow was furrowed as he concentrated on his pencil's movements across the page.

"Hello," Hermione greeted softly, stopping beside him and forcing herself to not look at what he was working on. Steve was intensely private about his art, especially when he wasn't finished with a piece, and she knew that when he was ready for her to see it, he would show it to her.

"Hey," he greeted with a smile. "How was training?"

"Good. Clint let me practice shooting with a bow and arrow today."

Steve stood and they started to make their way out of the building. "He finally gave in, huh?" It was no secret how often Hermione asked to go to the range and practice, but Clint rarely agreed.

"Technically, he used it as a reward for good behavior." When they stepped out of the building, Hermione was surprised to see that Happy wasn't there. "Is Happy running late? Or, are we walking somewhere?"

"I thought it might be nice to walk today. The weather isn't bad and I know that this would be a better winddown than having to make small-talk with Happy- I know you like to go for a walk when you're feeling unfocused."

Hermione was pleasantly surprised that Steve had remembered that. She had mentioned it to him once that first week when they were basically confined to the apartment. "That sounds nice."

"So," Steve started hesitantly as they walked down the street. "What did Clint say about all the information he gave you?"

"He asked about what my plan was for dealing the Wizarding World and walked me through a few scenarios. Nothing spectacular. I did get my bag back though!" Hermione was relieved to have her beaded purse back in her possession. She hadn't opened it yet, knowing that S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't been able to get inside it and not trusting them to not just come sweeping in once she had popped it open just so that they could get a look inside. The weight of hidden in her pocket was comforting though.

"The one you had on the run?" Steve's eyes lit up. "The one that is bottomless, like Mary Poppin's bag?"

She scowled. "We should have never watched that movie."

"I don't know, I kind of enjoyed it."

They kept their conversation light the entire way back to the Tower. Neither was positive where they stood with the other- Steve's conversation with Tony had left them both feeling off-center even after Steve had apologized and told her that he did care about her and was thankful to have her as part of his life now. Hermione knew that he hadn't meant what he said to Tony, not entirely, but she still found herself thinking about his words at random times.

When they got to the Tower, there was a large crowd gathered around the entrance. "What's going on here?" Hermione asked, stopping in her tracks. "Has Tony done something again?"

"No idea," Steve told her, though he had a sneaking suspicion. "Let's take the back-way in." He placed his hand on her back as they ducked around the side of the building before anyone could notice them.

Reaching the back door and showing their access cards to the guard on duty, Steve and Hermione entered the building and hopped into the elevator, asking JARVIS to let them off on whatever floor Tony was on.

"Mr. Stark is currently in a meeting with Miss Potts. I shall alert them of your arrival."

"I don't want to interrupt them if they're doing something important," Hermione told the AI.

"If Stark is involved, I doubt it's anything that secret," Steve muttered. Hermione gave him an unamused look.

"Actually, Miss Granger, they have requested that you join them. Mr. Stark says that Mr. Rogers is free to do as he wishes." JARVIS was clearly editing what Tony's actual message to Steve was.

"Thank you, JARVIS. I must ask though, how long will it take for you to remember to simply call me Hermione or Mia?" She had made the request to JARVIS many times in the past, but he never did.

"At least once more, as per usual, Miss Granger," JARVIS stated, his tone dry but amused.

The elevator came to a stop on the floor where Pepper's offices were located. "Thank you, JARVIS," Hermione told him as the stepped out. "Also, I enjoyed the playlist you created for me. Your taste in music is impeccable."

"Thank you, Miss Granger," the AI told her. "I will be sure to upload a new one to your device shortly."

"You're the best," Hermione told him affectionately as they walked over to Pepper's office. "Tony doesn't deserve you."

"Trying to steal my AI, Mia?" the man in question asked as he flung the door open. "That's rude."

"You're right, stealing is rude. However, wooing away is a bit greyer, isn't it?" she teased, giving Tony a peck on the cheek in greeting. "Now, what have you done to cause such a scene downstairs?"

"I'm so glad you asked." He led her over to Pepper's desk, Steve walking behind them.

"Hello, Mia," Pepper greeted, walking over to hug the younger girl. "How was training?"

"Alright. How is dealing with Tony?"

The CEO scowled at her boyfriend. "Becoming more and more challenging everyday."

"And what was today's challenge?"

Pepper and Tony shared a look before Tony grabbed several papers from off the desk and handed them to Hermione. "This."

Hermione took them with a curious look, scanning the top page. She froze, unable to process what she was seeing.

**State of New York**

**Copy of Certificate of Birth: State of New York**

**Name: **Mia Rose Stark

**Date of Birth: **September 19, 1990

**Gender: **Female

**Father's Name: **Howard Anthony Walter Stark

**Father's Birthplace: **Richford, New York

**Father's Date of Birth: **August 15, 1917

**Father's Age: **69

**Mother's Name: **Unknown

She looked up at Tony. "I don't understand." Her voice was trembling slightly, as were her hands.

"You were worried about being Hermione Granger again," Tony told her softly. "So, I thought I'd give you another option."

Hermione looked down at the paper again. "You want me to pretend to be your sister? But that's… it will never work."

"Yes, it will." Tony reached out and squeezed her hand, waiting for her to meet his gaze again. "We can say that my dad had an affair, you were born and the mother gave up all rights to you, and then we kept you out of the public eye. I kept you hidden all these years until you were old enough to take care of yourself." He hesitated then as Hermione stared up at him. "I know it's not ideal, labelling you as the 'Stark Love-Child' or whatever the media will call you, but it'll at least protect you from the Wizarding World. I did the research and everything. If you're an American citizen, the Ministry won't be able to lay a finger on you. We can just say you lived abroad and that's why you didn't attend any American wizarding schools."

Looking back down at the birth certificate in her hands, Hermione couldn't help being amazed at the lengths Tony was apparently willing to go to help her. She didn't know what to say.

Pepper spoke again. "You're already family, Mia. This would just make it official." She gave the brunette a reassuring smile when the girl turned to look at her.

_Family._ Hermione turned to look at Steve. "You're not surprised," she realized, studying his face.

"I called Stark yesterday," he admitted. "I wanted help figuring out a way to keep you safe and he seemed like the best bet."

"I didn't think I could feel any more surprised than I am right now; you willingly called Tony?"

Steve gave her a soft look and Hermione blushed, turning away from the blond.

"Mia Rose," she said quietly, trying out the name for myself.

"Mia because you're already familiar with it and Rose after my grandmother. I'm named after my grandfather, so I figured it would be a good fit." Even though she knew that Tony had never met his grandparents, and tended to avoid all things involving his family, she was touched to have been given a family name.

"This is too much," Hermione finally whispered. "You're giving up too much to help me; I can't let you do that."

Tony sighed. "That's what family does- protects one another."

She couldn't fight back the tears then. "It's killing you to be this serious, isn't it?" Hermione teased, voice choked.

Clearing his throat, Tony said, "Yes, it is. So agree to become a Stark so that I can stop. Pepper made me promise to make no jokes while discussing this and I'm dying."

It was reckless. There were so many ways this could go wrong. If she did this, Hermione would be giving up who she was before and becoming someone one, agreeing to be Mia Stark. It would be selfish to give up everything she was- her family, her friends, her life- just so that she wouldn't have return to a fight that she was tired of.

"We'll have to think up a better cover story for who my mother is."

The smile Tony gave her was so bright that she couldn't help smiling back. "Already covered, just didn't want to bore you with the details. Welcome to the family, Mia Stark."

Smiling back at him, she said, "You already hacked the government systems and added these records in, didn't you?"

"Oh yeah. I got to work right after the Old Man called me. These are copies of the documents I created and added into the system. All that's left is making a statement to the press."

Mia swore.

* * *

"_Mom!" Mia greeted as Val walked into the living room. She jumped up and hugged her mother tightly. "You're finally home!"_

_Val hugged her back, relaxing for the first time in days. "Hey. Sorry it took me so long; I didn't mean to be gone for so long."_

_Mia pulled back. "Dad said you had some work you had to do."_

"_Something like that." Val ran a hand through his daughter's curls. "What did you two get up to while I was gone?"_

"_Not much," Mia shrugged. "Just did some training and practiced my magic."_

"_Have you had anymore nightmares?" Val asked, concerned. The past few weeks, her dreams had become more intense. Originally, Val had hoped that the memories Mia got back would correlate with her age as she grew up again. That didn't seem to be the case though._

"_Some." Becoming pensive, Mia chewed on her bottom lip before asking, "Mom? Do you think I'm a bad person?"_

_Val stared at her in surprise. "Absolutely not. Why are you asking?"_

_Hesitating for a moment, Mia finally told her, "I'm remembering things that I don't know if I want to remember. I like being here with you and Dad- I like being Mia. The more memories I regain from before as Hermione, the more I wish I could just not remember. Is that bad?"_

_Five years. It had been five years since this world had been created and their minds linked together so that Hermione could heal. Five years since Val had been told just how many dangers her daughter had faced without her and would face in the coming years unless they could stop it. Five years since Val had gotten her daughter back. And over the course of those five years, Val had the privilege of watching her daughter bloom from the shy and confused toddler to this brave and brilliant little girl._

"_If it is, then I guess I'm bad too," Val finally told her. "Because sometimes, I also wish you wouldn't remember."_

_Mia hugged her again. "Even if I remember Hermione, can I still be Mia?"_

"_I wouldn't have it any other way, kid."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N): Hello! Welcome back guys! Hope your weekend has been solid! I have returned once again with a new chapter that will hopefully delight you!**

**Shoutouts to xXLarxPhobiaXx, Hp17, Stephanie MRV, Najada, dragongirl92, Adharablack85-2, MissDoeProngsRose, burungmalam, fringeperson, Spinallittleglow, noise95, Nanyin, pangaokao, KEZZ 1, imaginesakura, and Guests for reviewing! You all are the best!**

**Couple of quick notes before you all get to reading: this chapter is going to have a couple of time jumps going on. Not large ones, no 3 months later or anything, just trying to move along a bit quicker. Hopefully it's not too jarring, but I just wanted you all to be aware. Second thing, there's a lot of strong feelings towards Steve right now and I'm a little concerned. Just in canon, Steve is awkward and a little lost when it comes to dealing with his emotions and people not... well, Bucky basically. I'm not trying to make him out to be a jerk. He's Steve right after he's been defrosted- he's an awkward cinnamon roll right now! Lastly, I know Avengers Endgame has come out and I have seen it. I am not going to spoil it for you all but I will tell you upfront... disregard entirely for this story. None of that will be happening in my story. I have a lot of feelings for that film, a lot of them not great, but I also know a lot of people loved it and that's cool! It's just not gonna be a thing in my story world and I wanted to make sure we were all on the same page there.**

**Alright, I'm done blathering now. This chapter is unbetaed so all mistakes are on my head.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_What is the point of learning hand to hand combat?" Mia demanded, heaving herself off the floor. "This is all in our heads, right? It's not going to be helpful out in the real world because my actual body isn't learning anything right now- the muscle memory and increased stamina isn't going to be there."_

_Her mother stood a few paces away from her, knees slightly bent and hands at the ready, while her father stood off to the side observing them. That was how this worked now, Val did most of the martial arts training while Richard did weapons training._

"_Therein lies the benefits of magic," he called to her even as Val moved to strike again. "Your mind will always remember this training and your magic will work automatically to supplement your body until your muscles in this world matches your physical body."_

_Before Val could knock her down again, Mia jumped and somehow found herself flipping over her mother. Stumbling forwards, she spun around to face Val, who looked as stunned as she was feeling. "What…" Mia stared down at her feet in confusion. "What was that?"_

_Val turned to look at Richard. "Was that from you?"_

_Richard frowned. "I believe not." At the look on Val's face, he continued softly, "I warned you that this was a possibility."_

"_I had hoped you were wrong," Val muttered. "This complicates things."_

"_What complicates things?" Mia interrupted. "What's going on?"_

_Sighing, Val straightened up. "You got a bit more than just your dad's powers like we originally thought. Looks like you also got mine."_

* * *

Hermione sat stiffly in her chair, keeping a close eye on Tony as he wandered around the small office that they had been escorted to at the North American Gringotts Branch located near the MACUSA Headquarters in Manhattan. She would have come by herself, but Tony refused to be left behind. It was actually a relief to have someone else with her though, the support was comforting, and Tony was definitely the better choice for this than Steve- Tony's bored expression didn't waver even when he came face to face with a goblin for the first time.

"So, there's really only one bank in the entire Wizarding World?" Tony asked, studying a paper on the wall listing out Gringotts Banking Policies.

"Yes," Hermione answered, crossing her legs. "The goblins monopolized the banking system in Europe, Northern Africa, and the Americas in the early 1400s. I believe the only reason it took longer for the Middle East and Asia is due to the fact the their Magical communities didn't isolate themselves till later on and therefore the common currency there was what was used."

Tony finally moved over to her and sat down. "What about the rest of Africa?"

"From what I understand, magic can still be used openly in many communities. If an area tried to limit or ban magic, the people there simply move on to another community. It goes back to the fact that, if magical and non-magical people are able to coexist openly and peacefully, there's no need for another form of currency to be used in magical transactions."

"How unusual, for a witch to be so familiar with our history and practices," came a gruff voice from behind them.

Standing up instantly, Hermione waited until the goblin had gone behind his desk and bowed slightly before reseating herself after he had sat.

"I am Farloff, the manager of this Gringotts branch," he introduced himself, unsmiling.

"My name is Mia Stark and this is my brother, Tony," Hermione introduced, keeping her expression blank.

Farloff studied them closely. "Neither of those are wizarding names- what business do you have with Gringotts?"

"I am here about an account I have opened under a different name- my previous name." Hermione pulled out her vault key that she had retrieved from her beaded bag and set it on the desk. "This is to my vault at the main Gringotts Bank Branch in Diagon Alley under the name Hermione Granger."

The goblin stiffened. "Granger?" he repeated.

Hermione smiled faintly. "Yes, Hermione Granger."

"You will need to verify your identity before anything else is done," Farloff quickly told her, pulling something out of his desk.

"I will agree for you to check my magical signature," Hermione told him firmly, having spotted the Blood Quill in his hands. "I know the rules- I know that you can either check my identity using my blood or by my magical signature and I refuse to allow you access to the former."

Farloff seemed almost impressed. "Offering blood is much less taxing and is the preferred method amongst magical folk."

"It's also much more dangerous. My magical signature will dissipate once I will it to. You will have that sample of my blood for as long as you choose."

"Your cautious nature does you credit," the goblin said, but it didn't sound like a compliment. "Very well then."

Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment, calling forth her magic and allowing it to flow over her skin. This was a very difficult piece of magic, one most individuals she knew were unable to do. It involved calling forth magic without actually casting a spell and holding it in place, covering the skin and giving the caster a colorful aura.

Using a black, metal rod that looked similar to metal detector, Farloff scanned her skin and took a reading of her magic, comparing it to the magic embedded in her key. "A match," he finally stated, looking displeased. "How unexcepted. So, Miss Granger, how can we help you?"

Tony stiffened slightly beside her. "It's Miss Stark, actually."

"That's partially why I'm here," Hermione quickly interrupted, shooting Tony a look. Turning back to Farloff, she continued, "I need to transfer all the money in the account under Hermione Granger and either place it into one with my new name or just exchange it all for American currency. Before that though, I need to know more about the attempts made to access my account in the past decade. The media has given me an idea of what all has occurred, but I would prefer to hear the full, uncensored details from you."

Farloff's expression remained unchanged, but Hermione could almost feel the pulses of anger coming from him. "Beginning in 1999, one year after your disappearance, the Ministry of Magic in Britain declared you legally dead and Ronald Bilius Weasley," the goblin's lip curled as he spat out the name, "began to try and be granted the contents of your vault. He used the claim that, as your fiancé, all your assets should be awarded to him. Harry James Potter backed his claims and Ministry officials also agreed with Weasley's claim."

"But you didn't give him anything," Tony commented.

"Gringotts operates independently of any government control," Farloff sneered. "We have our own rules in place upon the death of a vault owner. The vault either goes to a spouse or is returned to a blood family member- unless there is a will stating otherwise. If no family members can be located in a timely, the vault will be locked down until a blood relative is located."

"I did have a will," Hermione said softly. "In the event of my death, the contents of my vault were to be donated to a variety of charities."

"And if you had actually died, that is what would have occurred."

"You knew she was alive?" Tony demanded, leaning forward.

"Upon a holder's death, their key either goes to their next of kin- spouse or child generally- or return to their Gringotts account manager who would then access their will. If there is no will, the distribution of the vault is left up to the managers discretion. As your key was not returned to Gringotts and there was no body found, we had no reason to believe you dead. We sealed your vault and refused all requests for access to it."

Hermione's stomach clenched. "I'm sure the Ministry did not appreciate that. Are they able to monitor my account? Will they know if I make any withdrawals or close it? And how many times did Ronald try to get into my vault?"

Farloff sat back slightly in his chair. "They have ordered to be informed should there be any changes to your account, but it is up to our discretion to apprise them. If you wish to make a transfer or close the account, I can give you three days at most before the British Ministry is alerted.

"As for how many times Weasley attempted to open you vault: at least once every three months until five years ago. Once we informed him that you had a written will that would go into effect once proof of your death was provided to us, and that no money or mention of him was to be found within said will, he stopped his attempts with us. A reminder that fiancés don't count as next of kin unless written into the will also helped. To this day though, he still discusses it with the media."

She sighed. "Of course; if it involves money or food, Ronald will actually put in a bit of effort."

"I can't believe you were friends with this kid," Tony scoffed.

Hermione stared him down. "You really want to talk about life choices right now?"

Turning back to Farloff, she told him, "I need a new account under the name Mia Stark and all the funds in my old account transferred over before being closed. Anthony Edward Stark, my brother, is to the beneficiary to my new account should I die, with all funds being transferred to a non-magical bank of his choosing."

Tony started. "I don't want your money!" he protested.

Smiling over at him, Hermione said, "I know, and I will change it in the future when I have more of an idea of what I want done. I just feel better doing this for now, just in case."

Half an hour later, Tony and Hermione were preparing to leave the bank. "I must say," Tony commented, glancing around the custom clothing store that was the front for the entrance to Gringotts. "This is not too shoddy of an establishment."

"It is the goblins," Hermione answered lightly, buttoning up her coat. "If they do something, they make sure to do it well. Do you think there will still be press outside waiting for us?"

In the days following the press conference announcing her existence to the world, the press had been relentless. Talk shows discussed her constantly, photographers followed them everywhere, and numerous articles had already been written that could only speculate as to what her existence meant for the future of Stark Industries and why she had stayed hidden for so long. Tony and Pepper had already spoken with her about going on at least one talk show with someone they liked and trusted and doing an article with a magazine they'd worked with in the past.

"Yep. Better put on your sunglasses."

Sliding on her sunglasses and standing up straight with her shoulders back, Tony and Mia Stark strode confidently into the chaotic mess waiting outside for them.

* * *

Steve sat on the couch in Hermione's floor of the Tower, trying not to laugh at her exasperated expression as she argued with Pepper. "Why do I need to learn how to walk in three-inch heels?" she demanded. "I won't wear them!"

"Yes, you will," Pepper told her firmly. "This is a necessary skill." It was at times like these that it was obvious just why Pepper was known the only person able to get Tony to do anything- she was impossible to argue with. "As a Stark, you will need to attend gala's and benefits on a regular basis and these are the shoes you will be expected to wear."

"No one told me that before I agreed!"

"Rule number one when it comes to making agreements: always read the fine print. Now, walk."

Hermione groaned and began to toddle around the room. "I look ridiculous." She looked over at Steve. "Don't you have something better to do than watch me suffer?"

"Nope," Steve replied, smirking slightly at her.

"Actually, you do," Pepper corrected, reaching out a hand to help Hermione when she started to wobble. "I left a pair of dress shoes in your size outside your room- go change into them so you can break them in."

"Huh?" asked Steve, bewildered. "Why do I need dress shoes?"

"Because if I go down, I'm taking everybody with me," Hermione muttered.

Pepper made a shooing motion at Steve and he stood, walking slowly to his room.

After Stark had formally introduced Mia Stark to the world, he had given her an entire floor of the Tower to do with as she pleased. Hermione had tried to argue that it was too much, but Stark wouldn't hear of it. So far, the only rooms that saw any use were the kitchen, the living room, Hermione's bedroom, the library/study Stark had created for her, and the room she had given to Steve. Because of her new identity, she wasn't able to stay at the apartment any longer. They still saw each other daily though, Steve dropping by so that could study together or watch the next movie on their list. After the first few times that he had stayed so late that they ended up falling asleep in the living room, Hermione had shown him the room she'd set up for him and Steve had become an unofficial resident of the Tower- much to Stark's disappointment.

Picking up the box waiting outside his door, Steve carried it back into the living room. He'd only been gone for a minute, but Hermione seemed to be getting her feet under her again, walking around with a bit more ease. "Once Steve is ready, we can work on your dancing skills," Pepper announced.

Hermione immediately stumbled. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I don't dance," Steve quickly interjected, pushing the box of shoes away from him as if they were going to climb out of the box on their own and tie themselves to his feet.

"You may be able to force me to attend gala's and benefits, but you cannot make me dance at them," the brunette stubbornly informed Pepper.

"Even Tony dances!" Pepper protested. "Not often, granted, but he still does!"

"That's because Tony is an unapologetic flirt!" Hermione hissed. "He's absolutely head-over-heels for you, that's obvious to anyone with eyes, but he still enjoys making women swoon over him. I, however, don't have that same propensity and therefore will refrain from making a fool of myself on the dance floor."

Pepper still wasn't backing down though. "What if you meet someone you like and they ask you to dance?"

"I doubt I'll find any of the many trust-fund babies that I'll surely encounter at these events all that appealing."

At the look of surprised confusion on Pepper's face, Steve told her, "She's started watching _Gilmore Girls _recently. I'm apparently not up to that level culture-wise yet though."

"Without me?" Pepper demanded.

"You like _Gilmore Girls_?" Hermione asked in surprise. "I found it on a list of things to watch and started it after I finished _Friends_."

Jaw dropping in outrage, Pepper cried, "You finished _Friends _without me?!"

Hermione blinked at her, attempting to find a proper response. "So, dancing?"

Steve groaned.

* * *

"Is Fury still personifying his name?" Hermione asked Clint as they wandered into the training room.

"I've never seen him so upset," Clint groaned, rolling his eyes when he caught sight of Hermione's grin. "I'm still not sure what he's more pissed about: the fact that Stark hacked multiple government agencies in order to legitimize your existence as fully as possible, or the fact that The Supersoldier, America's Golden Boy, was the one who came up with the idea."

"I know! I'm still shocked myself, to be honest." Her laughter echoed around the room and the tightness in Clint's shoulders finally eased a bit. "They are both terrible at coming up with any sort of reasonable backstory though. Steve is far too honest for all this and Tony is far too used to living his life as openly as possible, as shown by his Iron Man announcement. The man may be a vault when it comes to his technology, but he has no problem leaving most of his personal life on display."

"You seem to be doing well with the press," he commented, carefully watching Hermione's stance as she began her stretches. "Caught a bit of your interview on _Ellen_ and the article about you in _Vanity Fair._"

Hermione flushed. "Having Tony really helped when speaking with Ellen. She also has a way of putting her guests at ease throughout the interview that kept me from becoming too nervous. Pepper insisted on doing the interview with the magazine though- she said it would help me connect with a wider and more diverse audience and further establish myself."

"She's probably right. The pictures in it at least are all over the internet right now- you are well on your way to being America's darling."

Letting out a breath, Hermione admitted, "I'm not sure I thought this through. In hindsight, I don't think this is actually going to help hide me from the Wizarding World."

Clint shrugged. "You'd be surprised how oblivious most people are. I doubt any of your old friends are going to connect Mia Stark with Hermione Granger, and not just because British wizards do everything possible to stay as disconnected as possible from the outside world. No one would expect there to be a connection between Hermione Granger and Tony Stark so, even if they were to see a picture of you, they probably wouldn't even recognize you. It helps that you don't really look the same as before."

She shifted uncomfortably. "Pepper took me to a salon to have my hair done and has been helping me 'move with more grace and confidence'. These training sessions have also caused a change to my appearance."

"It's not a bad thing," he reassured her. "Just looks like you're ready to take on the world, rather than being crushed under the weight of it."

Hermione hummed in thought before abruptly changing the subject, a habit she'd seemingly picked up from Tony. "So, I heard you have a mission coming up. When do you leave?" she asked, pulling her hair up off her neck.

"Friday," answered Clint as he bent over to tighten his laces.

Eyebrows raised in surprise, she said, "So soon? Were you just informed of the plan or are you just now bothering to inform me? Either you or Fury are poor planners and I would prefer to know which one to expect that from going forward."

With a snort, Clint told her, "He gave me a heads-up last week, but a lot of advanced notice isn't really expected in our line of work; it's all about rolling with the punches as they come."

"Ah yes, that thing I'm not doing well with."

He smirked at her. "Yeah, I don't know where you learned the habit of just standing there and taking a hit, but it is not the way to go."

"The bruises covering my body would agree with you." Hermione started bouncing on the balls of her feet, mentally preparing herself for her upcoming laps. She had no issues with the other parts of her training, had even come to enjoy sparring, but she absolutely despised doing laps. While Hermione understood why Clint forced her to do them during their training sessions, a part of her was still suspicious that he was just including them to torment her.

"Yeah, yeah, less whining more running. You're not getting out of it today, Granger." He pointed at her. "And don't think you'll be able to just stop training after I leave- already got Steve to agree to keep an eye on you until a friend of mine gets back from her mission and is able to come work with you."

Hermione's jaw dropped in mock-surprise. "You have friends?" She ran off then, the sound of Clint's laughter echoing behind her.

* * *

"I failed everything," Mia moaned, slumped over the counter as Pepper unpacked the breakfast pastries she had brought in with her that morning and began placing them on plates.

"I'm sure you didn't fail everything," Steve reassured her.

"You might have failed everything," Tony piped in, not looking up from his tablet.

"Tony," Pepper warned. At Mia's pitiful moan, she turned back to the younger woman. "You didn't fail your exams," Pepper told her soothingly. "We studied everything together, you passed with flying colors on your practice tests, and you were just saying how easy you found the material. Stop doubting yourself."

"And even if you did fail, at least you're still pretty," offered Tony, finally looking up and smirking at his younger sister. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but it thrilled him to be able to call Mia family. He was no longer the only Stark.

Mia sat up straight and glared at Tony. "You know, this wouldn't be so bad if you hadn't made me 21 years old. You get to be the genius older brother who graduated MIT at the age of 17 while I'm the idiot younger sister who couldn't finish schooling at a normal time like everyone else!"

"I was trying to help you out! Now you're old enough to drink. Also, you'll only be considered an idiot if you fail. If you do really well on them, then people will just think you're lazy."

"Not helpful," Steve snapped.

"I'm sorry, why are you still here?" Tony asked. "Don't you have better things to do besides freeload off of me?"

"Not really," the blond man answered with a saccharine smile that had Tony rolling his eyes. The two men weren't friends by any stretch of the word, but they had settled into an uneasy truce for Mia's sake.

"We're going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art today and possibly the Met Cloisters if there's enough time before doing a bit of exploring," Mia interrupted, moving away from the counter to slide into a seat between the two men. "Are you still going to be testing the arc reactor this evening?"

"That's the plan," Pepper answered cheerfully, setting the plates down on the table while sliding into the seat opposite Mia.

"Do you want me home tonight to help?" Mia asked, looking at Tony.

He gave her a half-smile. "Nah, we'll be fine on our own. Show Super Soldier here a good time- not too good a time though. Gotta protect that innocence."

Steve groaned. "What exactly do you think people were doing in the 40s?"

"Selling war bonds and dreaming of white picket fences?"

"I think that last part was more the 50s," Pepper told him absentmindedly, biting into a blueberry crepe.

"Yes, in the 40s they were much more interested in living in the moment," Mia said, biting back a grin. "Do what you want today because you never know what might happen tomorrow and all that."

Tony's eyes lit up and he looked at Steve with new interest. "Really? So, does that mean the Paragon of Virtue might not be so virtuous after all?"

"I really don't see how that's any of your business," Steve told him stiffly.

"C'mon now, Rogers, sharing is caring and inquiring minds want to know."

"Inquiring is not the word I would use to describe your mind, Stark."

"Oh, really? And what word would you use?"

Mia and Pepper both groaned. "Could you not?" Pepper asked.

"If you two don't stop right now," Mia warned, "I will lock you both in your rooms and Pepper and I will do everything on our own today."

"Is that so?" Tony challenged, raising an eyebrow at Mia. "You think you can successfully install the arc reactor to the Stark Tower powerline all on your own?"

Refusing to back down, Mia told him, "I can try. It would be tragic if I failed though. Would probably end up destroying your newest toy and then you'd have to waste weeks creating a new one."

Locking eyes for almost a minute, Tony finally gave in with a groan. "Fine, you win. This time."

Smiling brightly, Mia went back to eating her food as Pepper engaged Steve in conversation about what he was most looking forward to seeing at the museum.

* * *

Steve was oddly quiet after they had left the museum hours later. "Something wrong?" Hermione asked.

"No," he told her, smiling slightly. "Just processing everything we've seen today. It's amazing being able to see how much art has changed over the years."

Hermione just looked at him for a moment before facing forward again. "It's something else, isn't it? You're worried about something."

He sighed. "I can't get anything past you, can I?" She linked her arm with his, keeping him grounded. "S.H.I.E.L.D. dropped off files about my old teammates," Steve finally admitted. "Most of them are already gone, but Peggy's still alive."

"Are you going to call her?" Hermione asked, voice calm. She might not be ready to contact anyone from her old life, but that didn't mean that Steve shouldn't.

"I thought about it, but I don't think I'm ready."

He sounded almost ashamed and Hermione lightly tugged on his arm so that he would look at her. "There's nothing wrong with needing time," she told him firmly. "Do you think less of me because I haven't spoken with anyone from before?"

"Of course not," Steve immediately answered.

"Then stop thinking that it's any different for you."

Steve finally relaxed. "You're right."

"I'm always right," she teased, also relaxing. "Now, where would you like to go next? I, for one, would prefer to stay out of the Tower for as long as possible in order to give Tony and Pepper some space."

"Barton texted me earlier to check in and see how your training was going." Hermione tensed before looking up at Steve from below her eyelashes. "I was a bit confused at first," Steve continued, staring straight ahead as the edges of his lips twitched. "Seeing as how you said that Clint's friend had arrived back from their mission and was working with you."

"Please don't tell Tony," Hermione immediately requested.

Steve snorted. "Why not? I imagine Stark would be proud to hear that you pulled one over on me."

"He most definitely would be except for the fact that I may have also been pulling one over on him as well."

Pausing for a moment, Steve looked down at her before moving them off the crowded sidewalk and into a nearby alleyway. "What does that mean?" he demanded. "What exactly have you been up to?"

Hermione's shoulders hunched. "I needed to pick up some things from the magical side of New York and if Tony knew what I was doing, he would have insisted on coming with me. He may have done well enough with the goblins, but he would shot off like a bullet the moment we stepped through the magical entrance into the shopping area. And there is absolutely no way I could have gone unrecognized while out with him there. The magical world here may ignore most things going on in the non-magical world, but everyone here knows who Iron Man is and if he was with me, they might have recognized me as his mysterious new sister."

Tensioning draining out of his large frame, Steve ran his hand through his hand. "Makes sense. But it's probably not a good idea for you to be off galivanting on your own." Hermione's eyes flashed and Steve lifted his hand up to forestall her protests. "I'm not saying that because I think you're weak or anything like that- I know you can take care of yourself. Thing is, you were just saying a few days ago that you were worried about being found and forced to return to the magical world. This whole plan hinges on the fact that people aren't going to connect Hermione Granger to Mia Stark. You going off on your own into the magical world, hiding your new identity, kind of makes what we did a little pointless, doesn't it?"

Realizing he was right, Hermione's ire instantly dissipated. "You make a fair point."

"I can do that on occasion too. Can you tell me what it was you needed to buy? And why it couldn't have waited? I get not wanting to bring Stark with you, but it sounds like Barton seems to know his way around the magical world and he could have gone with you once he got back."

She desperately wanted to run her fingers through her hair, but she had promised Pepper that she would stop doing that. "I needed to pick up a few books," Hermione finally admitted. "One's on recent events in the Wizarding World. Americans are less likely to censor what exactly is going on in Britain the way the books and newspapers there tend to and right now, I'm really just looking for some honesty."

Offering his arm to Hermione, Steve led them back onto the street. "Did you find anything?"

"I did, some good and some bad." Hermione shifted closer to Steve in an attempt to avoid bumping into anyone. "Britain's standing in the International Confederation of Wizards, which is basically the magical equivalent of the United Nations, declined after Voldemort was finally defeated again. They had already been on shaky ground for quite a while but after that, their influence fell. It's ironic, Magical Britain is viewed as weak and looked down upon by the rest of the magical world while Muggle Britain is considered one of the most powerful countries in the world on the non-magical side of things.

"After the war ended, the Ministry of Magic immediately published their version of what had occurred internationally and was called to speak in front of the ICW. No one knew though that undercover operatives were sent in from the United States, France, Germany, and a joint task force by the Scandinavian's. They had gone into Britain and collected information to submit to the ICW on what had happened during the war before British representatives spoke. Those British representatives were unaware of that and attempted to lie about what had been going on in England; the Death Eaters had apparently closed the border when they took over the Ministry in an attempt to keep any 'Undesirables' from escaping and any aid from being sent. They believed the rest of the world to be unaware of what exactly had been going on. The moment they lied to the ICW, Britain was called out and lost a number of privileges they had gained during the years the Dumbledore led the organization."

"Dumbledore? The headmaster of your school?" Steve asked, frowning. "He was in charge of the ICW and your school? That sounds like a lot- why did he do both instead of one or the other?"

Her lip curled slightly as she answered, "He liked power and enjoyed using his influence to acquire more and more of it. He was in charge of the oldest magical school in Europe, an advisor to the Ministry, and led a body of some of the most powerful and talented wizards and witches across the world."

"If he was so powerful, then why didn't he reach out to other magical communities for assistance fighting Voldemort? Why didn't anyone else help?" He knew that some leaders had issues asking for help but in Steve's opinion, there was nothing wrong with needing back up. So, why had Dumbledore decided recruiting kids was a better way to go than using his connections at the ICW?

"I don't have all the information, only the American perspective of things," Hermione reminded him. "I can't say with absolute surety that this is true, but I do believe it is highly likely.

"A large amount of Dumbledore's affluence came after World War II where he defeated a man by the name of Gellert Grindelwald, who was basically the magical version of Adolf Hitler. Dumbledore became famous throughout the Wizarding World after that, hailed as the most powerful wizard since Merlin and the brightest wizard to exist in centuries. However, not everyone had such a high opinion of Dumbledore. There were rumors floating around about why it had taken him so long to defeat Grindelwald, his reasons for refusing to face the Dark Wizard sooner, and just how he had been able to stop him. They didn't trust Dumbledore so, when he stood before the ICW and announced the return of Voldemort to Britain, many of them thought he was trying to expand his influence even further by creating another Dark Lord for him to defeat. Even once they realized they were wrong though they still couldn't help. The Ministry refused their offers of aid and wouldn't allow them into the country."

"But you said Dumbledore was an advisor to the Ministry, so why didn't he use that influence to get them in?"

It took a moment of Hermione to answer. "Because… because Dumbledore had a plan already set in place and once he'd done so, nothing in the world could change his mind. He liked playing games," she murmured, remembering a corridor of puzzles, a tournament of death, and a treasure hunt for Dark objects. "He liked playing games and after he'd set up the board, he'd play it through to the end, no matter what."

"War isn't a game!" Steve objected.

"It was to him. A chess game, with him the gamemaster and the rest of us as his pieces- all the soldiers expendable except for Harry, his king. Dumbledore forgot that we were people. Or, he didn't forget but just didn't care. I honestly don't know which would be worse at this point."

Pulling them to a stop again, this time in awning of a building, Steve put his hands on her shoulders and bent to meet Hermione's eyes. "You are not expendable," he told her firmly. "You are not a chess piece to be sacrificed on someone else's whim. You are a person and you have the right to exist and make your own choices as much as anyone else."

Hermione blinked at him, unsure of what to say in response to that. Ever since she'd woken up, been able to have that space from Harry, the war, everything, Hermione had replayed every significant moment over and over in her head. She wondered if she had missed anything the first time around, any clues that might have changed all the terrible things that had been done.

She wondered if she'd ever actually had any free will during that time, or if she'd always been hanging Dumbledore's strings.

Eyes sliding away from Steve's too-intense gaze, unable and unwilling to delve into her own fears right then, her focus caught on the name written onto the window behind him. "No," she groaned.

Steve didn't even turn around, just dropped his hands and grinned. "Yes. You need to make up for those missed days of training." He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and moved to unlock the front door of the gym. "Let's go, Granger. Show me what you've got."

* * *

"_He didn't mean it," came her mom's voice from her bedroom door._

_Mia turned to look at her. "Didn't mean what?" she asked dully._

_Val walked into the room and sat down next to her daughter. "What he said about control- he didn't mean it the way you thought."_

_Biting down on her lip, Mia took a deep, shuddering breath. "I just… I'm tired of constantly being told how to properly feel and react to my emotions."_

"_I get it," Val told her, beginning to run her fingers through Mia's long curls. "I'm the same way. For years, I was told that I needed to control my emotions, that I couldn't let them get the better of me. It took me awhile to realize that my emotions weren't controlling me, they were fueling me."_

"_Why doesn't Dad get that?" Mia asked, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. "Why does he want to change me?"_

"_Hey," Val said, moving her hand from Mia's hand to tug on one of her arms until she could grab her hand and squeeze it tightly. "He doesn't want to change you. Your dad just grew up differently from us. For him, showing emotion wasn't an option. When he did show any emotion, any at all, it would be used against him and he'd be punished for it. He finally had to learn to always keep his feelings in check, to never show any cracks in his armor."_

_Mia stared at their joined hands. "I didn't know that," she whispered, feeling badly for how she'd yelled at her father earlier. "That's an awful way to grow up."_

"_It is," her mother agreed. "Your father loves you, Mia, and everything he's done has been to keep you safe."_

_Taking a deep breath, Mia stood up and bent over to kiss her mom on the forehead. "I should go apologize to him."_

"_Someone willingly apologizing to him," Val muttered as she watched Mia leave the room. "He might actually die of shock."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N): Hey guys! Another chapter coming at you! I'm going to be honest though, this isn't my favorite chapter. I am not loving the pacing of this. Part of me feels like it's going too fast, but this chapter is also set in the beginning of the Avenger's movie so... I mean, you've seen some of these scenes before. I don't really need to go in-depth on descriptions of scenes like the gym Steve's working out at and so on. Hopefully this is just all in my head though- it's been a rough week. Lost my job on Friday and am now diving head-first into the hunt for a new one. Wish me luck!**

**Shoutouts to sisselina, , Cassie-011, MilandaAnza, Jennii Marie, ElizabethV, peachx89, Hp17, anthraquinblue, Adharablack85-2, ElementalCowgirl19, , Niclaire, kcinara, Hotgirlow, Nanyin, noise95, klaroline1920, Kezz 1, Elizabeth, Stephanie MRV, fringeperson, and Guest! I love reading all your reviews and I'm so grateful that you took the time to let me know your thoughts! You are glorious and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!**

**This chapter is unbetaed and I really feel like it shows that, unfortunately. Apologies for any mistakes!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Mia sat down on the stairs, head leaning back against the wall as she listened to her parent's whispers._

"_Luphom has fallen," Richard was saying, tone low and heavy._

"_His attacks are rapidly increasing," Val murmured, almost too low for Mia to hear. "He's still only targeting planets on the outskirts of galaxies though."_

"_Not for long. There are rumors that he has been meeting with the Kree in secret."_

_Val snorted. "Until he can prove himself as a force to be reckoned with, the Kree will have nothing to do with him. All their resources are focused on destroy the Nova Empire and he isn't stupid enough to go to war against them with only the forces he currently possesses."_

"_Such confidence shows your ignorance," Richard hissed. "This must be handled before it's too late."_

_The screech of a chair as it slid across the tile floor echoed throughout the silent home. "And how do you suggest we do that?" Val asked, impassive. "We haven't been hiding in the shadows, keeping Mia out of sight, all this time for no reason. Without us, she would be alone, with no one to protect her. Your family would be useless at best and outright dangerous to her at worst and I don't have anyone strong enough on my side that could keep her safe. Mia only has us. So, if you want to run out and try to stop him, know that you'll be doing it on your own. I'm not leaving our daughter alone- not now, not ever."_

_Squeezing her eyes closed, Mia prayed that her father stayed. She didn't want him to leave her too._

* * *

Hermione laid on edge of the boxing ring dominating the middle of the gym reading as Steve repeatedly punched the bag hanging off a chain dangling from the ceiling. Once they'd finished with her workout, Hermione could sense that Steve wanted to spend more time at the gym but hadn't wanted to force her to stay too. She'd pulled a book out of her small bag and held it up triumphantly. The sound of seams splitting open and a loud thump pulled her attention away from her book and she looked over at him, sighing.

"That's the second one you broke," she said, sitting up and hopping down. "What are you thinking about?"

Steve stared at the bag lying on the floor across the room for a moment before turning away. As he went to grab a new bag, Hermione vanished the sand that had spilled onto the floor. "Steve?" she called, concerned.

"Do you ever," he started, voice distant. "Remember what it felt like when you disappeared?" Hermione didn't answer, waiting for him to continue. "I knew that what I was doing was right, that I was making the best call I could, and I was okay with that. But I was still scared. The moment I hit the ice, I was terrified of everything I was leaving behind and everything I was going to miss."

She didn't know what had brought on this introspection. "My situation was very different from yours," she finally started. "I was in so much pain and the things I would be leaving behind should I die didn't even cross my mind. All I do remember is everything shifting from being painful and terrifying to feeling… peaceful. There was no pain, no fear or doubt, just a sense of safety and protection."

Finally meeting her gaze, Steve asked, "Have you remembered anything from while you were gone?"

Making sure to hold his gaze, Hermione told him, "No, I haven't."

That was a lie though. Hermione wasn't sure what exactly she was remembering, wasn't sure if they were memories or dreams, but she didn't want to tell Steve about them. The feeling of arms hugging her tightly, laughter echoing behind her as she raced around the house, and a comforting embrace when she was woken abruptly from a nightmare- those were hers.

Lifting a new bag up to hang on the hook overhead, Steve quietly admitted, "Bucky would be so disappointed in me if he was here now. Hell, he would've been disappointed in me back then too."

"I don't think so," Hermione told him, moving closer to him. "From what you've told me of him, I think Bucky would've been right by your side in that plane."

_To the end of the line._

Steve choked on a laugh. "Probably."

Hermione could tell that Steve wasn't ready to talk any more on the subject so instead of prying, she just lifted her hand and placed it on the bag. Concentrating for a moment, she imbued her magic into the bag. "There," she declared once the magic had taken hold, stepping away. "That should hopefully last longer for you."

"What'd you do?" he asked.

"Made the bag unbreakable. Possibly." She smiled at him, eyeing his muscular arms pointedly. "We'll have to see how my magic holds up against your superior strength."

Flushing slightly, Steve smiled crookedly at her. "Might want to step back then- I'll be giving it all I've got."

"I'd be disappointed with anything less," Hermione told him with a wink.

Walking back over to the ring, she hopped back onto the edge, staying upright this time so that she had a better view of Steve. She remembered Steve telling her that Bucky enjoyed boxing- that must have been what he was thinking about earlier. Hermione hoped that she had been able to convince him that Bucky wouldn't have been disappointed in him. It would be terrible to think that someone you loved who was gone would be upset if they could see you now. But, from what Hermione knew of Sergeant Barnes and his friendship with Steve, that could never apply to him.

Hermione thought about her own parents then. Fury had told her while she was in the hospital recovering that her parents had died a few years before in an accident. It had ached, the thought that she'd never be able to see them again and apologize to them for everything. It had hurt even more though to know that they had died without remembering who she was. Despite that, Hermione had never for one moment thought that her parents would be disappointed in her.

"Trouble sleeping?" came a voice from across the room. Hermione stiffened for a moment before she looked over her shoulder and realized that it was just Fury.

Steve didn't even bother looking over at the man. "We've both been sleeping for a while, sir. I, at least, think I've had my fill."

Folding her arms over one of the ropes lining the ring, Hermione watched as Fury walked towards them. Glancing at the folder he'd pulled from behind his back, she asked, "Is that for me, or Steve?"

"Both, actually," he answered, turning to glare at her. "Figured if I don't fill you in on what's going on myself, your new brother would just fill you in himself."

Staring back at him unapologetically, she said, "Family is important, wouldn't you agree?"

"So you just decided to make yourself a new one?" Fury questioned and Steve froze.

"You're the one who was encouraging me to find my place in this time," she retorted easily, unphased. "And I am very good at following instructions."

Fury snorted. "I think you went a little beyond just slotting yourself into place here."

"Going above and beyond is what I do," Hermione told him, smirking faintly as Steve moved to stand beside her. "Achieving the bare minimum just isn't fun for me."

"Good," he said, stepping forward to pass Steve the now opened folder. "I have the feeling we're going to need 'above and beyond' right now."

Steve stared at a page of information with a picture of a glowing blue cube on the righthand side. "HYDRA's secret weapon," the blond murmured, eyes tight.

"Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you," Fury told him. "He thought what we think- that the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy. That's something the world sorely needs."

Hermione stared intently at the photo, the conversation between the two men just background noise. Tesseract… that name…

"Who took it from you?" Steve asked, flipping to the next page.

"He's called Loki. He's… not from around here."

Head snapping up sharply, Hermione repeated, "Loki?"

"Yeah," Fury answered, staring at her intently. "Sound familiar?"

"Loki- the Norse god of tricks and lies," she responded evenly. "I've read about him before in books on mythology and then Tony informed me of recent events. If Loki is here, should we be expecting another appearance from Thor?"

"There's no way to know for sure, so I'm not putting any hope there."

"No, instead you're placing your hope in Captain America and Iron Man." Hermione's tone had taken on a faintly mocking edge and Steve frowned at her. "While both may be impressive fighters in their own rights, their technology and fighting skills aren't going to be at a high enough level to take on a god of magic."

As if she could sense the small amount of hurt racing through him, Hermione turned to Steve and quickly explained, "I'm not doubting your intelligence or your strength, I know how impressive you are. But, if what I know is in any way accurate, Loki is a skilled magic user. If he wants to kill you, you won't be able to even sense his presence before he's slitting your throat. I haven't even been using my magic deliberately and there's been a few times I've almost injured you. Imagine me coming at you with that power with everything I've got and multiple that by at least ten or so and that is Loki. He's a thousand years old- using magic would be as effortless to him as folding your arms is for you."

"Then it'd probably be helpful to have a magic user on our side, wouldn't it?" interrupted Fury.

Turning back to face the director, Hermione snapped, "I hope you're not referring to me. After all, I find myself chafing at the thought of taking orders from a man who tried to manipulate me into a corner rather than just coming to me directly." Fury's face went blank and Hermione continued. "That was your plan for me, wasn't it? Play nice, hope a bond would form between Steve and I so that I would want to stay close to him, then add me to your team and use the fact that I'm Hermione Granger to force the Wizarding World to play nice with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"It was," he admitted without shame. "Till you went and became a Stark in an attempt to bury your past."

While Steve looked ready to start tearing into Fury, Hermione just smiled faintly in amusement. "Hindsight is a wonderful thing, Fury. Before, it always annoyed me that everyone underestimated me because I was female and a muggleborn. They may have spoken of how intelligent and clever I was, but, when it came right down to it, they still continued to believe that Harry Potter was the one making plans and figuring out the enemy's weaknesses on his own while I was just the female sidekick. You thought nearly the same thing- that I would be weak and impressionable just because I was in a new environment. I'm happy to have been able to prove you wrong."

"With an attitude like that, it's no wonder that Stark took a shine to you." Turning back to Steve, Fury told him, "There's a debriefing packet waiting for you back at your apartment, if you're in."

Steve glanced at Hermione. "You coming with us or are you going sitting this one out?"

Looking back at the papers in Steve's hands, Hermione asked, "Was the Tesseract stolen while you were doing experiments on it for your clean energy idea?"

"It was."

"And was this the mission Clint was sent on? To oversee these experiments?" Fury's frown deepened and that was all the information Hermione needed and she took a deep breath. "Is Clint… Was he…"

"He's alive," Fury interrupted. "But he's been compromised. Loki has the ability to take over the minds of those he comes into contact with using some sort of magical object. He's taken several of our agents and scientist's hostage."

Hopping down to stand next to Steve, Hermione said, "I'll join you, provided that you agree to allow me to study this magical object for myself and you'll follow my directions in regards to it. Magic is my specialty, not yours, and magical objects can be temperamental; if I'm telling you to not touch something, it's for a good reason."

Studying her for a long moment, Fury finally said, "Agreed. Within reason."

"Fine. We'll be off then; sounds like we have some reading to do tonight." Summoning Steve's bag to them, which the blond neatly grabbed out of the air, the two walked past Fury and out into the night.

"You sure about this?" Steve asked.

Hermione met his gaze. "You and Tony are both going and Clint needs help- of course I'm sure."

Steve debated for a moment before telling her, "I doubt you're going to be allowed out into the field. That alright with you?"

"I never said I wanted to fight and, to be honest, it's probably for the best. As long as Loki has the ability to take over another's mind, anyone who goes up against him is at risk. I could defeat either you or Tony should Loki get the best of you but there's only a small chance of you being able to stop me without outright killing me." Hermione's tone was frank and to the point. "Hopefully there's footage of Loki stealing the Tesseract. If so, I might be able to spot some weak points for you to take advantage of and I may even be able to give you a few magical objects for you to use while fighting him."

Sighing, Steve admitted, "I don't like this. Something seems… off."

"Is that your instincts telling you that or do you have any evidence to back that up?" Hermione asked.

"Just my gut, and it's rarely ever been wrong before."

Linking arms with him, she told him, "If you think something's off about all this then something probably is- instincts are just messages coming from the part of your brain working faster than the rest of it."

* * *

Tony and Pepper were having a very enjoyable evening until JARVIS announced that his protocols were being overridden.

"Mr. Stark," came Agent Coulson's voice from his phone. "We need to talk."

Groaning, he picked up his phone. "You have reached the Life Model Decoy of Tony Stark," Tony informed him. "Please leave a message."

"This is urgent," Coulson insisted.

"Then leave it urgently," Tony snapped, about to toss his phone away. The elevator doors opened then and Coulson stepped out. Turning to Pepper, Tony insisted, "Security breach! That's on you."

Rolling her eyes, Pepper turned from Tony and towards the elevator. "Phil! Come in!" She grabbed her glass of champagne and stood up.

"Phil?" Tony repeated, following his girlfriend to the elevator.

"I can't stay," Coulson told Pepper apologetically.

"Uh, his name is Agent," interjected Tony.

Continuing to ignore her boyfriend, Pepper continued speaking to the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. "Come on in, we're celebrating."

"Which is why he can't stay," insisted Tony, giving Coulson a fake smile.

Coulson held out a laptop to Tony, unphased by his antics. "We need you to look this over, as soon as possible."

Tony just stared for a moment before saying, "I don't like being handed things."

"That's fine," Pepper said cheerfully as she stepped forward. "Because I love to be handed things. So, let's trade." Handing Coulson her glass of champagne in exchange for the laptop, she then turned to Tony and took his glass before forcing the laptop into his hands. "Thank you."

Frowning down at the computer in his hands, Tony told Phil, "Official consulting hours are between eight and five every other Thursday."

"This isn't a consultation," Coulson responded evenly.

"Is this about the Avengers?" Pepper asked. At the look Coulson gave her, she hastily added, "Which I know nothing about."

"The Avengers Initiative was scrapped," Tony called as he walked over to his work area, opening the laptop as he went. "And I didn't even qualify."

"I didn't know that either," she muttered, staring up at the ceiling as Coulson smiled faintly at her.

"Yeah, apparently I'm volatile, self-obsessed, don't play well with others," recited Tony with a scowl.

"That I did know," Pepper said, biting back a smirk.

Coulson stared him down. "This isn't about personality profiles anymore."

"Whatever." Tony snapped, placing the laptop on his desk. "Ms. Potts, got a sec?"

"Half a mo," Pepper told Coulson, walking over to Tony.

"You know," Tony murmured once she reached him. "I thought we were having a moment."

"I was having twelve percent of a moment," Pepper teased before turning serious at the look Tony gave her. "This seems serious; Phil looks pretty shaken."

"How would you notice-" Tony started to ask before changing gears. "Why is he Phil?"

Pepper look down at the laptop screen. "What is all this?"

"This is-" Tony reached out a hand to the screen and with a flick of his fingers, threw up the multiple files contained on it onto the screens surrounding them. "This!"

They both studied the images, taking in the many photos and videos. "Wait, why is Mia on this?" Pepper asked, staring at the multiple pictures of Mia and a short video of her sparring with Barton.

Tony was already striding back over to Coulson. "Why is my sister up there?" he demanded.

"Miss Granger was being considered for the Avengers Initiative," Coulson answered calmly.

"Her name is Mia Stark," Tony almost growled. "And she's not being considered for anything!"

Pepper had already whipped out her phone and was dialing Mia's number. "She's with Steve right now," Pepper reminded Tony, eyes darting between the images of Captain America and Mia.

Swearing, Tony moved back over to his girlfriend's side just as Mia picked up. "Hello?"

"Are you still with Steve?" Pepper demanded.

Mia sighed. "I am. I'm assuming S.H.I.E.L.D. has just met with you as well?"

Plucking the phone out of Pepper's hand, Tony said, "Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you?"

"I'm fine," she reassured her brother. "I'm still with Steve; we're back at the apartment. Fury came to ask us for our help."

"You can't go," he immediately told her.

"Tony…" Mia sighed.

"I'm serious. As your older brother, I forbid you from doing this!"

"You forbid me?!"

Pepper groaned, snatching the phone back from Tony. "What he means is that it would be better for you to sit this out; you're still recovering, Mia. S.H.I.E.L.D. had no right involving you in this."

"Yes, they did. Pepper, the person S.H.I.E.L.D. needs help fighting against is a magic user. He's already taken Clint, I'm not going to let Steve or Tony face this alone."

"All the more reason for you to stay far, far away," Tony insisted, pressing his face close to Pepper's so that he could hear better. "You were just saying a few days ago that your magic has felt different since you woke up so you can't rely on it in a fight. If this guy was able to take down Barton in combat, then you absolutely won't be able to beat him either."

"Hurtful but true," Mia agreed coolly. "That's why I have no intention of doing the fighting- I'll leave it to you strong, manly men. I can, however, help figure out how to counteract his magical attacks and point out what weaknesses he may have."

Tony paused, considering. "You won't try to fight him yourself?"

"I can absolutely guarantee you that I will not attempt to fight the magic-wielding Norse god unless I absolutely have to."

"Then I will allow you to come and watch me save the world. Again."

"Oh, how gracious of you," Mia cooed sweetly and Pepper swallowed a laugh. "And after you're done saving the world, I'm going to give you very nice, detailed presentation on why I have never and will never need your permission to do anything I please." Then, after a long pause, she asked, "Would you prefer for Steve and I to spend the night at the Tower rather than the apartment?"

"I think that would be for the best," Tony agreed.

* * *

Hermione slumped back in her seat on the jet, head resting on Steve's shoulder, as he stared down at his Stark tablet and the video of the Hulk. They'd grabbed the debriefing packet that S.H.I.E.L.D. had left on their table after breaking into the apartment and headed over to Tony's for the night. Neither of them had gotten much sleep though. Steve had opted to stay in the living room on Hermione's floor while she alternated between his and Tony's sides. She was paying for that lack of sleep now.

Every time she closed her eyes though, Hermione saw the footage of Loki's appearance at the Dark Energy Research Center. The look in his eyes- shifting from crazed and cornered to dark and sharp in a split second before changing back. The way he had fought the other agents with skill and grace but stumbled over as he exited the building.

Loki was supposed to be the one in charge, leading an army to take over the world. But if he was the one in control, then why did he look so confused? Why was there a split second of surprise at the sight of the scepter in his hands?

When Fury had said that Loki had a magical object in his possession that allowed him to control minds, this wasn't what she was expecting. Hermione had thought that he would be using his magic in conjunction with a bespelled object in order to cast some variation of the Imperius Curse. She had watched the video over and over again, trying to understand, but she was still left confused. If what she was seeing was true, then whatever spell had been used on Clint and the others wasn't powered by Loki, it was powered by the scepter itself.

No, not the scepter, the jewel. When Loki touched the spear to Clint's chest, the spell had originated from the jewel and flowed into Clint and the others. It didn't come from Loki. If he had been channeling a spell through the jewel, Hermione would have seen it moving along the length of the scepter to the jewel and then watched it flow outwards. Instead, the jewel had glowed a soft blue and released the spell itself.

There were so many possibilities of what could be happening, none of them good. She needed to get her hands on that scepter, the sooner the better.

"So, this Doctor Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?" she heard Steve ask softly, presumably to the agent that had met them at the airport hangar.

"A lot of people were," the man answered just as quietly. "You were the world's first superhero. Banner thought Gamma Radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine's original formula."

Hermione heard a soft roar come from Steve's tablet. "Didn't really go his way, did it?" Steve sighed. She shifted slightly closer to him, eyes still closed, and felt him relax.

"Not so much. When he's not that thing though, guy's like a Stephen Hawking."

"The physicist," Steve verified. Hermione remembered when Tony was going over physics with her while Steve sketched quietly in the background and he had briefly mentioned Stephen Hawking. Seems Steve's memory was even better than she remembered.

"Yeah! I realized right after I said it that you might not know who that is, but it looks like you're doing well getting all caught up."

She bit back a grin at the agent's ramble as Steve responded, "I've had a lot of help- especially from Hermione. Still got a ways to go though."

It was quiet for a moment before the agent started speaking again. "I gotta say, it's an honor to meet you, officially." Seemingly at the same time, Hermione and Steve realized that they were dealing with a fan and she was eager to see how Steve would react. "I sort of met you," he continued. "I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping." Steve immediately tensed up. "I mean, I was… I was present, while you were unconscious from the ice."

That was not where Hermione thought this was going to go and she felt bad for both men. In an overwhelming desire to break the awkwardness, Hermione murmured, "He really does look different when he's asleep, doesn't he? Less troubled. Tony's the same way. Pepper and I have been taking photos of the both of them whenever they fall asleep in weird places, which is far more often than you would think, and are making a wall of shame."

Steve relaxed again. "I thought you were asleep."

Peeling her eyes open, Hermione looked up at him. "Can't," she admitted. She was too tired to form complete sentences but also too tensed to actually rest- a bad combination.

Wrapping his arm around her, Steve tucked her into his side. "s'alright," he told her, a bit of his Brooklyn accent breaking through. "Just try and relax; we'll get to base soon."

Hermione nodded before glancing over at the other man standing awkwardly over them. "You're Phil," she finally remembered. "Pepper told me about you."

"I am," he confirmed, though his expression had gone blank.

"Sorry," she blushed. "It's been a long night our arrival to the jet is a bit of a blur."

"No apologies necessary. It's an honor to meet you as well, Miss Granger. I've heard a lot about you."

"All lies," she told him, closing her eyes again. Hermione drifted off into a not-quite-asleep-but-not-quite-awake state as the two men began discussing Steve's new uniform. She wondered if it was going to be as tight-fitting as his previous one.

When they finally landed, Hermione was awake enough to feel surprised to find that they hadn't gone to a military base as she had been expecting but instead were on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean. "This is… unexpected," she whispered to Steve as they stepped off the plane alongside Coulson.

A gorgeous red-haired woman wearing blue jeans and black jacket came striding up to them.

"Agent Romanoff," Phil greeted her, expressionless mask in place. "Meet Captain Rogers and Miss Stark."

"Ma'am," Steve greeted her with a nod of respect.

"Hi," Natasha responded coolly, eyeing Hermione. Turning to Phil, she told him, "They need you on the bridge; they're starting the face trace."

He instantly turned to leave. "See you there," Phil told the group as walked away.

Natasha turned and led them into a different direction. "It was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice," she told Steve. "Thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"

"Trading cards?" Steve repeated, as Hermione mentally noted that Phil's last name was Coulson.

"They're vintage. He's very proud."

They came to a stop a few feet away from a fluffy-haired man in a gray suit and dirty white sneakers who Hermione quickly recognized as Bruce Banner. "Doctor Banner," she called out, and Banner quickly turned towards them.

Steve stepped forward and held out his hand. "Doctor Banner," he greeted.

Taking his hand, Banner replied, "Oh, yeah, hi. They told me you were coming."

Seemingly unphased by the other man's nervousness, Steve continued, "Word is you can find the cube."

"Is that the only word on me?" Banner muttered, glancing around.

"Only word I care about," Steve reassured.

"Hello," Hermione greeted him softly, also holding out her hand. "I'm Mia. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Banner."

"Bruce is fine," he told her, hesitantly taking her hand. "It's nice to meet you too. You're Tony Stark's sister, correct?"

Pleased to hear that S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't bandying about her true identity, Hermione beamed at him. "That I am. While I'm not nearly smart enough to understand your area of expertise, my brother is a huge fan."

"That's… nice."

Natasha interrupted them. "You might want to step inside in a minute; it's gonna get a little hard to breath."

Staring around as the sound of engines whirring filled the air, Steve asked, "Is this a submarine?"

"Oh, I hope not," Hermione muttered.

"Really?" Bruce asked. "They want me in a submerged, pressurized metal container?"

The sound of engines grew louder as the three of them walked over to the edge of the ship and looked down, watching as propellers appeared and the entire ship began to lift up into the air.

A darkly amused grin appeared on Bruce's face. "Oh no, this is much worse."

Hermione also couldn't stop a bit of horrified laughter from escaping. "You are not wrong there."

* * *

"_You are the last resort."_

_Mia took one last pull from her water bottle before setting it aside and turning back to her father. "I'm what?"_

"_The last resort," Richard repeated. "If there is a fight going on, you are not to use your powers unless there is no other choice."_

_She gapped at him. "What do you mean by that? If there's something going on, if people are in danger, I'm not just going to sit by and do nothing while waiting to see if someone else can handle the situation!"_

_Val stepped away from the wall she'd been leaning against as she observed their spar. "What happened at Hogwarts after you started helping Harry and Ron?"_

_Frowning, Mia stared down at her feet. She got the point her mother was trying to make. Once Harry and Ron had accepted her into their group and understood just how smart she was, they always came to her for answers. They expected her to always have the information they needed, whether for class or to fight whatever new horrible thing they were dealing with that year, and if she didn't know then she was expected to run right off and research for them._

_Unperturbed by her daughter's silence, Val continued, "Once they knew how smart you were, they never wanted to look at another book themselves if they could help it. When you would try and make them do their own work, they would whine and complain about it in the hopes that you would do it for them. When you were preparing to go on the run, they did nothing to get ready for it. You all knew that you would be leaving, yet you were the only one collect supplies and make arrangements."_

_Richard placed a hand under Mia's chin, tilting her head upwards so that she could meet his gaze. "You are far more powerful than most everyone you will come into contact with. If you are always saving them, they will never learn how to save themselves. And, the more you help them, the more word will spread about you and what you can do. Others tend to fear those who they cannot match. The less you draw attention to yourself, the safer you will be."_

"_But what if someone gets hurt because I stood by and did nothing?" Mia asked, hands shaking slightly. This felt like a tipping point- the deciding factor on whether or not she was truly going to move on from being Hermione to being Mia._

"_Sometimes," Val told her softly, "people get hurt. It's a fact of life. You can't save everyone. You're smart, Mia, and clever. When the time comes, you'll know whether you're needed or not."_

"_Promise us," Richard demanded, eyes intense. "Promise us that you will only use your powers if there's no other choice."_

_There was a long pause as she stared between her parents. Finally, Mia whispered, "I promise. I'm the last resort."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N): Hello again! Hope you all are having a restful weekend. I, personally, am exhausted right now so we're going to just move along with the good stuff! Thanks to everyone who sent out good vibes my way during this past week of job-hunting! I actually already got hired for a new job as a proofreader that I will be starting next week so we'll see how that goes. Hopefully well.**

**Shoutouts to Sora Loves Rain, HelenaSweet, KateKat1992, Sassyass7515, Kneazle, Aid4, Tajinprincess, JayMJane, michanne, Elizabeth, Cassie-011, xXLarxPhobiaXx, sisselina, Hp17, alexaguamenti, fringeperson, Adharablack85-2, blue199086, KEZZ 1, pendora59, Najada, and Guests! Thank you, once again, for letting me know your thoughts about what's been going on! I really do appreciate you taking the time to send a bit of love and encouragement my way. **

**This chapter is unbetaed and, considering how tired I am, probably has a few mistakes within that I do take responsibility for. Apologies in advance for any you may spot!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Her dad was in a bad mood._

_Mia didn't know what had happened to upset him. He had been fine when he'd left a few days ago. She wished she knew what to do to help him, to calm him the way he always managed to sooth her when she was having a bad day, but Mia couldn't figure out how to do so. Did he just need someone to vent to? Someone to spar with so that he could work out some of that aggression? A hug? If it were the first two, then that job would be better suited for her mom. He wasn't going to want to speak candidly with her and Mia knew that she wasn't anywhere near his level of sparring, especially when he was this upset._

_She could give him a hug though._

_Even though affection was freely given in their little family, Mia worried about encroaching on his personal space without clear permission. Cautiously stepping up next to him, Mia slowly wound her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. For one long moment, her dad remained stiff and Mia worried that she'd made the wrong call. Then, Richard let out a sigh and his body relaxed, arms winding around her and pulling her close. Mia buried her face in his chest. "Love you," she murmured._

"_I love you, too," he finally responded, pressing a kiss to the top of her head._

* * *

As they followed Natasha to the bridge, which Hermione was vaguely sure was just another term for the command room of the airship, Hermione's exhaustion decided to make a reappearance. She had felt better after her short nap on the plane, but apparently a 30-minute rest wouldn't do as make-up for getting no sleep the night before and a restless sleep the night before that.

Doing her best to stay upright, Hermione watched as Steve stared around in amazement and Bruce stumbled around by a large conference table, still seemingly unsure as to how he got here. Natasha had jumped down to the rows of monitors on the floor a few feet beneath them, standing near Phil.

Fury was overlooking the room as a woman to his right announced, "All engines operating. S.H.I.E.L.D. emergency protocol 193.6 in effect." Turning to look at Fury, she continued, "We're at level, sir."

"Good," Fury responded. "Let's vanish."

Turning back to face forwards, the brunette ordered, "Engage retro reflection panels."

Moments later, a male agent stated, "Reflection panels engaged."

Finally turning to face the group, Fury greeted, "Gentleman. Miss Stark."

Steve nodded in greeting, still distracted by all the activity around them, and Hermione just stared tiredly at him as she leaned against the table.

Walking up to Bruce, Fury held out his hand. "Doctor, thank you for coming."

Bruce shook his hand, frowning. "Thanks for asking nicely," he responded dryly. "So, um, how long am I staying?"

"Once we get our hands on the Tesseract, you're in the wind," Fury reassured.

Even though he nodded at the director, Hermione could see that Bruce didn't really believe what he'd been told. "Well where are you with that?"

"We're sweeping every wirelessly accessible camera on the planet," Phil called up to him. "Cell phones, laptops- if it's connected to a satellite, it's eyes and ears for us."

Steve frowned. Stark had shown him and Hermione how to fully use their cell phones and gifted them each their own laptops, loudly telling Steve that the only reason he was getting one was so that he wouldn't need to share with Hermione. Hermione had sworn that Tony was genuinely trying to be nice but just didn't want to make a big deal about it. Pepper told him that Tony was trying to find a way to keep him away from Hermione without the petite woman twisting his ear for it.

"You can access people's cameras without their permission?" he asked Fury.

"In a state of emergency we can," the Director answered calmly. Steve wasn't too happy about that but knew that now wasn't the time to argue about it. He was suddenly grateful that Hermione's paranoia had caused her to tape a piece of paper over their computer's cameras at all times.

"It's still not going to find them in time," Natasha said, staring at a computer intently. Hermione tried to see what exactly had caught her attention, but her vision was too blurry.

"You have to narrow your field," Bruce told her before asking Fury, "How many Spectrometers do you have access to?"

"How many are there?"

"Call every lab you know," instructed Bruce as he shrugged off his jacket. "Tell them to put the Spectrometers on the roof and calibrate them for gamma rays. I'll rough out a tracking algorithm, basic cluster recognition. At least we could rule out a few places." Once Fury nodded in agreement, he continued, "Do you have somewhere for me to work?"

Fury nodded again before calling for Natasha. As she walked towards them, he asked, "Would you show Doctor Banner to his laboratory, please?"

"You're going to love it, Doc," she murmured as Bruce turned to follow her. "We've got all the toys."

"Really?" Bruce asked, tone slightly playful. "Do you have Commodore 64?"

Natasha hesitant for a moment before slowly answering, "I'm not sure-"

"Oh, you're very young," he interrupted with a sigh as they disappeared.

"Hey." Steve had moved to stand next to Hermione and rested a hand on her lower back. "You okay?"

Hermione blinked up at him, mind too sluggish to properly answer.

Frowning, Steve shrugged out of his jacket and wrapped it around her. "You need to rest."

"Can't," Hermione finally murmured, learning sideways to rest against his chest. "Too many new people."

"I get it," Steve told her softly, his voice reverberating through his chest. "What if we went to the lab with Banner? There'll probably be less people there and I'm sure that once Stark gets here, he'll be setting up shop there too."

Considering it for a moment, she finally nodded in agreement. When she tried to step away though, Hermione felt her legs start to give out. Steve quickly scooped her up.

"Something wrong?" Fury asked from somewhere behind Steve.

"Just had a late-night researching," Steve reassured the director, but Hermione could sense his worry. Hermione's sleeping habits may have never been all that great, but nothing like this had ever happened before.

"Agent Hill can show you to a room so that Miss Stark can sleep it off," Fury offered.

"No, I'll take her to the lab where Dr. Banner is working." Steve's tone was firm and allowed for no arguments. "Save Stark the trouble of hunting her down once he gets here."

"That might not be for a few hours," Phil told him, voice still mild. It was getting harder and harder for Hermione to clearly hear the voices around her.

"Good. That'll give her a few hours to sleep then." Steve began walking, presumably following in Natasha and Bruce's steps. "Is this really just exhaustion?" he finally whispered to her once they were away from the others.

"Don't know," Hermione slurred. "Feels wrong though."

A minute or so passed as Steve walked through the ship, finally coming to a stop in a room with lights so bright that they hurt Hermione's eyes through her closed lids. "Is she okay?" she heard Bruce ask, sounding concerned.

"Just tired," Steve reassured the scientist. "Do you mind if she rests in her?"

"There aren't any rooms on this thing?" Bruce asked.

"There are, but she'll sleep better here in the lab; she's used to sleeping through a bit of noise when she stays up late with Stark while he's working on something."

Bruce was quiet for a few seconds before telling him, "There's a bench over there you can lay her down on. Probably not the most comfortable place she's ever slept on, but better than sleeping on the floor or on a table."

Taking a few more steps, Hermione felt herself being carefully set down. "This okay?" Steve asked her softly.

"Yes," Hermione sighed, letting herself relax. When Steve continued to kneel down beside her, she forced her eyes open slightly and squinted at him. "You don't have to stay," she whispered, seeing his indecision. "Bruce is here; I'll be fine."

Studying her face for any hidden discomfort, Steve finally sat back on his heels. "Alright. Call me if you need me though, okay?"

She nodded. "Don't leave without telling me?" Hermione requested. If Loki was found, Steve would most likely be the one sent out to find him.

"Of course." Steve seemed to hesitate for a moment before he finally stood and Hermione felt her eyes automatically slide shut as she drifted off. "Sleep well," was the last thing she heard.

* * *

_Because you're not ready yet._

_Time is a bit more relative here._

_No matter what happens, we will be there to catch you._

_I'll just be there to help if you need it._

_We need to know that you can take care of yourself._

_Your father loves you, Mia, and everything he's done has been to keep you safe._

_You are the last resort._

_Be brave._

"Mia!"

Starting awake, Mia shot upright, narrowly missing knocking heads with Bruce. She stared around the lab wildly, her breaths coming out in gasps as her heart raced.

Bruce was kneeling next to her, palms held up, as he tried to calm her. "You're alright, you're safe. You're in the S.H.I.E.L.D. lab with me."

Staring at him with wide eyes, Mia worked to imitate his breathing. As her body relaxed, she became aware of the pain knifing its way through her brain with every pulse of blood. "What happened?" she croaked.

"You had a nightmare," Bruce told her, tone still calm and even. "You slept peacefully for about three hours before growing a bit restless. It wasn't until a minute or two ago that you started thrashing around- you nearly fell off the bench."

Mia cradled her head in her hands, wincing. "I can't…"

"It's okay, don't worry about it right now. Just keep breathing."

She did as she was told, focusing solely on inhaling and exhaling. "I'm sorry," she finally told him after another few minutes had passed and her brain no longer felt like it was trying to crack open her skull from the inside.

"Don't worry about it," he reassured her. "I was due for a break anyway."

Huffing a laugh, Mia said, "You don't seem the break-taking type. Not while you're stuck here."

When he didn't respond, Mia knew she was right. The sound of the door sliding open made her slowly lift her head up and force her eyes open, wincing slightly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

"What's going on?" Steve asked, rushing over when he saw Bruce kneeling next to Hermione.

"Nothing," Hermione reassured him. "Bruce was just checking on me." When it looked like Steve wasn't fully convinced, Hermione hastily continued. "Have they found anything?"

Steve gave her a look but answered, "Loki has been spotted in Germany. Natasha and I will be flying out to try and intercept him."

Hermione frowned. Steve seemed calm, confident, but she couldn't help worry for him. The serum coursing through his veins made him stronger than most men and his fighting abilities were a thing to behold, but he'd never dealt with magic before. What if…

"I'll be fine," Steve reassured her, able to guess what she was thinking. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

"You can't know that," she whispered. He and Tony both had such reckless attitudes, confident in their abilities to take down any who would think to take them on. That level of confidence was dangerous though- what if they didn't take a threat seriously until it was too late?

Feeling the outline of her beaded bag in her pocket, Hermione reminded herself that she had a way to strengthen their odds as best she could and that would have to be enough. Steve and Tony wouldn't be them if they weren't always eager to fight against the odds.

"I have it on good authority that I'm pretty hard to get rid of," he joked, blue eyes light and confident.

Sighing, Hermione told him, "I am well aware; Tony won't stop complaining about it." At the sound of Steve's chuckle, Hermione felt herself smiling softly. "Is this you letting me know you're leaving, or can you stop by again after you change? I wouldn't mind seeing these design changes Phil was talking about."

Steve flushed. "Not gonna lie, the costume was actually one thing I wouldn't have minded leaving behind too much."

"It probably also doesn't help that everyone knows who you are now, which makes the cowl somewhat unnecessary," Hermione commented, forcing herself to stand up.

The groan Steve made in response caused Hermione to laugh and the edges of Bruce's lips to twitch.

"Go on," she waved him off. "Come back here once you're changed so we can see the gloriousness of your costume for ourselves."

Shoulders hunched slightly, Steve slowly shuffled out of the lab.

"He's not what I was expecting," Bruce commented softly, not looking up from his computer.

"Really? What were you expecting?" Meandering over to Bruce's side, Mia hopped up onto a lab stool. "He may have been considered the American Hero, but he's still a man. A man who doesn't love the idea of being forced to parade around in a pair of tights."

Barking out a laugh, Bruce grinned at her. "His old costumes didn't leave much to the imagination, did they?"

"They did not," Mia sighed. "And I have a sneaking suspicion that this one won't either."

They sat in silence for a moment, Bruce working on his calculations as Mia tried to fully shake off her headache. "Do the nightmares happen often?" Bruce finally asked.

Hesitating for a moment, she finally answered, "I've had nightmares for years but recently I've been having very vivid dreams. It doesn't make for a very relaxing time when they combine."

"I know a thing or two about nightmares," he told her, tone self-deprecating. "Meditation is what helps me. Well, that and tea." Nodding over to a coffee carafe in the corner of the lab, Bruce said, "There's some hot water and tea over there. S.H.I.E.L.D. somehow managed to get their hands on my favorite blends that I've found calming, even if I can't make a proper cup."

The fact that he clearly felt no need to prod about what she was dreaming about made Mia like the shaggy-haired man even more. Quickly making two mugs of tea, Mia handed one to the scientist before going back over to her bench to wait for Steve's return.

When Steve finally did walk through the door again, she had to choke back a laugh. "That… uh… that is certainly a change from the old uniform, isn't it?"

Bruce was biting down hard on his lower lip. "Very vivid colors," he finally offered.

Steve glowered at them. "It looks like someone tried to combine my old uniform with that stupid tour outfit I was forced to wear."

That did it. Hermione buried her head in her hands and laughed. Even Bruce was chuckling softly. "This is a serious matter," Steve tried to chide them, voice overly-stern.

"Why is it covering your entire neck?" Hermione finally managed to get out between giggles. "You look like a Ken doll."

Watching as Hermione's entire countenance seemed to lighten from the weight that had been hanging over the past few days, Steve couldn't help smiling as he went to stand in front of her. "If you could not let your brother hear you say that, I would greatly appreciate it."

Sighing slightly as she finally stopped laughing, Hermione stood up. "I'll make you a deal: you come back in one piece and I promise to make sure that Tony never comes up with a Barbie-related nickname for you. Deal?"

"Deal." Staring at each other, Steve could see when the worry started to overtake Hermione again. "Stop worrying," he told her softly, placing a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. "Everything is going to be fine."

Hermione let out a huff of air before turning to snatch something off the bench behind her and reaching out to slip a few small vials into the utility belt hanging around Steve's waist. "There's a general healing potion, a blood-replenishing potion, and a few others things for you to use if you happen to be injured," she whispered softly enough that Bruce couldn't hear. "I made them especially for you since I know your metabolism runs a little differently than most."

Still feeling a little off-center after feeling her hands resting against his stomach, it took a moment for what Hermione was telling him to sink in. At the realization that Hermione had been making special potions just for him, Steve smiled. Hesitating for just a moment, Steve finally reached out and pulled Hermione into his arms, hugging her gently. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

Sliding her arms around his waist, Hermione hugged him back tightly. "I know. Because if you don't come back to me in the same condition you left here in, I will make fighting Loki look like a dream. I've got all the magical abilities and a stubbornness that can even drag Tony out of his lab in the middle of a project when I think he needs to sleep."

"That's a dangerous combination," Steve rumbled. "I'll have to make sure you never have a reason to turn that on me."

Pulling back just far enough that she can look up at him, Hermione wavered for a moment before seemingly steeling her nerves and quickly pushing up on her toes and kissing Steve on the cheek. Dropping back down, she took a step away. "You'd better hurry before Fury starts thinking I'm interfering with your ability to follow orders."

"Yeah," Steve answered, dazed. "I should…" he took a few steps backwards before getting it together and turning and racing out of the room.

"Think you broke him," Bruce muttered.

Hermione just stared at the spot where Steve had last been, lips tingling.

* * *

The ringing of her phone interrupted Bruce and Mia's meditation session. After Steve had left and Bruce had finished implementing his new search parameters for finding the Tesseract, the gamma-expert offered to show her some meditation exercises. Mia had eagerly accepted, willing to try anything that might help her with her dreams and headaches that didn't involve becoming reliant on addictive medication.

Smiling apologetically at Bruce, Mia dug her phone out of her pocket and saw that it was Tony. "Where have you been?" she demanded after accepting his call.

"_Hello to you too,"_ he sassed. _"Manners really have fallen to the wayside recently, haven't they?"_

"Tony," Mia warned. "You were supposed to be here hours ago; did something happen? Are you alright?"

"_I'm fine,"_ he brushed her off. _"Just needed to do some research on my own and then, when I heard that the Captain and the Lying Assistant Who Lies were headed to Germany, I decided to just meet them there. I'm flying over the Netherlands now."_

Mia tensed. "You're flying to Germany?" she repeated. "Without telling anyone?"

"_That is the benefit of not actually working for S.H.I.E.L.D.- I can do what I want without having to answer to anyone. Why? You worried?"_ he teased.

"Yes," she told him seriously. "I'm worried you're going to get yourself hurt. What if Loki uses magic that your suit can't withstand?"

"_If you're that worried about it, why don't you just ask JARVIS to show you the feed from the suit?"_ Tony offered. _"Then you can see for yourself just how amazing I am since you clearly need the reminder."_

Pausing, Mia asked, "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

"_JARVIS, patch the feed from the suit to Mia's Starkpad,"_ ordered Tony without any hesitation.

Walking over to her overnight bag, which was currently shoved underneath her bench, Mia bent over and dug out her tablet. "JARVIS, I know this may be a bit redundant, but could you please record and download all footage you capture once Tony makes contact in Germany onto my tablet?" To her brother, she said, "If you insist on getting involved in this, the least you can do is get some clear footage of Loki so that I can try and get a read on his abilities."

"_Anything for you."_

"In that case, I also want you to be the one to tell Pepper that there is no way I am attending the Met Gala next week. She sent me a message about it along with a variety of designer dresses to look over and it sounds horrifying."

Tony laughed. _"The only way you're getting out of it is if you're violently injured; believe me, I've tried all the ways."_

Mia thought it over. "So, what you're saying is, I need to have Loki hit me just hard enough to have Pepper pity me enough to leave me be without gaining a permanent injury?"

"_You will also need to make sure it looks like an accident,"_ he told her seriously. _"Otherwise, you'll be subjected to a lecture that is almost worse than just going to the Gala. Only almost though."_

Mia rolled her eyes and hung up the phone. They were going to be reconnected as soon as she was patched into his suit's camera, though Tony was sure to complain anyway. The child.

"Miss Stark," JARVIS interrupted, voice coming from her now opened Starkpad. "If you would like, I can put the video feed onto one of the monitors in the lab; you would just need to connect your tablet to the screens. S.H.I.E.L.D. has also gained access to several other cameras that I can show the footage from."

Glancing over at Bruce, Mia asked, "Is that alright with you, or do you work better without distraction?"

"It's fine," Bruce waved her off, still staring down at his scans.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind just watching from my tablet. JARVIS can switch between feeds to show me the best angle without trouble." Mia was worried that he would just agree to keep the peace and she didn't want to make Bruce uncomfortable.

"I really don't mind," he reassured her. "Plus, it might be helpful to see what exactly Loki is after in Germany; it may be able to help us figure out what his end game is and to narrow down our search area."

Turning back to her tablet, Mia said, "If you would, JARVIS."

A small square popped out of the side of the tablet. "Simply place this one of the computer screens," JARVIS instructed, and Mia did as she was told.

Moments later, multiple camera views pulled up on the monitors within the lab. A message from JARVIS also appeared on her tablet, informing her that he had taken the liberty of changing the settings on the glass windows in the room so that no one could see what was happening in the lab from the outside.

Mia sent off a quick thanks before beginning to intently scan the screens. JARVIS had pulled up the one with the best view of Loki automatically, and she watched as the Asgardian strode around what appeared to be a museum. He looked to be just another guest at the gala that was being held in a tailored black suit and cashmere scarf. It was the glowing jewel set at the top of his cane that truly set him apart.

"He's really not trying to hide there, is he?" Bruce asked dryly, leaning against the table.

"No," she replied evenly, continuing to keep her gaze locked on the screen. "Even if he had wanted to though, I doubt he would have been able to conceal that jewel."

"Why not?"

"It contains a power all its own. One that I'm not fully sure Loki has actually tapped into."

She could feel Bruce's gaze on her then. "So, you're magical," he finally says, stating it as though it should be obvious.

That pulled her attention fully back from Loki and onto the scientist. Bruce's expression was easy, no signs of fear or anger, just acceptance. "You know about magic?"

He nodded. "I spent some time in Africa before moving on to India. The rumors I heard during my time in some of the rougher parts of the continent were confirmed once I arrived in Calcutta. Had hoped someone would be able to help me with my… condition. Didn't quite pan out that way."

Weighing his words for a moment longer, Mia finally let out a small huff. "Yes, well, there hasn't been much call in the magical worlds history for needing a spell to remove another personality from a human being after they've been doused in gamma radiation."

"He's not a split personality- he's a monster."

"No," she corrected him, turning back to her screens. "He's angry. Angry, scared, and in a lot of pain. It also appears as though his intelligence isn't as advanced as yours, so he reacts to the chaos around and inside him the only way he knows how- through violence. I saw the footage of what happened in Harlem, with Ross and with the Abomination. The Hulk only hurt others in self-defense. Just with that, I can say with absolute certainty that he's less of a threat than a number of the magical creatures I've come into contact with."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you'd actually met him," Bruce scoffed, expression dark.

"I do believe I would. I am not scared of the Hulk, Bruce. I'm not scared, because I've faced worse and come out standing. So even if your alter ego were to make an appearance, I can promise you that I won't run away in fear of him." She turned and smiled faintly at him then. "Of course, that doesn't mean I'll go hanging around him recklessly. But I will do my best to help should he need it."

Before Bruce could respond, the screen changed in front of them. Mia hurriedly faced forward, watching as Loki walked down the stairs of the museum and into the main room where the party was taking place, swinging his cane and taking out a guard before rushing forward to grab a balding gentleman who had been speaking to the crowd.

Grabbing the man by the back of his neck, Loki dragged him over to a large stone statue. Flipping the man over so that the top half of his body rested directly on top of the stone, Loki pulled a metal tool out of his pocket.

"What is that?" Mia asked, squinting at the screen.

"I think it's some kind of scanner," Bruce answered, also narrowing his eyes.

"JARVIS?" called Mia, hoping the AI would be able to clarify.

Before JARVIS could respond though, Loki had activated the device and plunged it directly into the prone man's eye. Bruce and Mia watched in shock as the crowd began to panic, screaming and racing for the door. Loki just watched them run with a small, sadistic smirk.

"Why is no one trying to help him?" she demanded, continuing to look on in horror as the poor gentleman twitched on the statue.

"Because they're afraid," Bruce answered like it should be obvious.

"Fear shouldn't be what stops you from doing the right thing," Mia whispered.

Once Loki finally removed the device, he began to follow the crowd out into the square. His suit melted away, replaced by green, black, and gold armor and a horned helmet. Half the people were running away from him while the other half stared in confusion. A police car came careening around the corner and Loki shot a blast from his scepter at it.

It was strange though. With how violent Loki appeared to be, Mia would have thought that he'd want to blow up the car. Instead, a blue shield had appeared and caused the car to flip over. It was the same blue light that Mia had seen when the spells were cast on the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents back when Loki first arrived, the ones that had seemed to come from the jewel. So, either Loki wasn't as angry and violent as he appeared, or the spell had come from the jewel and it was sentient enough to decide to just stop the car, not destroy it.

Multiple versions of Loki began appearing around the town square, herding the people there into a tight circle. _"Kneel before me,"_ Loki ordered. The crowd continued to shout and look for a way out. _"I said,"_ Loki began again, slamming his scepter into the ground, _"KNEEL!"_

Everyone froze then, staring at the Asgardian with wide, terrified eyes. One by one, they fell to their knees.

"_Is not this simpler?"_ Loki began, walking through the crowd. _"Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."_

It was then that one man, old and slightly hunched, stood up and squarely met Loki's gaze. "_Not to men like you,"_ he told him softly.

Loki grinned. _"There are no men like me."_

"_There are always men like you."_

Lifting his scepter, Loki intoned, _"Look to your elder, people."_

"No," Mia whispered, part denial part prayer. "Don't do it."

Loki seemed to hesitate for just a moment before he straightened, stance hardened, and Mia wished that they had a clear view of Loki's expression. _"Let him be an example."_

The man didn't move at all as Loki shot a blue light towards him. Out of nowhere, a man fell from the sky and used a large, round shield to block the attack, sending it back into Loki and knocking him to the ground.

"_You know,"_ Steve started, voice loud and strong. _"The last time I was in Germany and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing."_

"Way to make an entrance," Bruce commented. Mia just stared on with large, worry-filled eyes.

"_The soldier,"_ they heard Loki sneer as he started to rise. _"The man out of time."_

Steve stared Loki down. _"I'm not the one out of time."_

_I'm not the one out of time._

Those words kept echoing in her brain as Mia watched the events unfolding on the screen before her. Mia couldn't help the sinking feeling that maybe those words didn't apply to either man.

Because as she stood there, watching them, it felt like she was the one who was out of time.

* * *

"_Where are you going?" Val asked, leaning back against the kitchen counter with her arms crossed over her chest._

_Richard stopped on his way out, a single eyebrow raised. "Does it matter?"_

_Mia stopped stretching, shifting her body so that she could see her parents easier. Things had gotten a bit tense recently. Something was coming and her parents were at odds about the best ways to go about dealing with whatever threat they were worrying about._

_She should be worrying about it too, shouldn't she? Maybe she should be, but Mia had faith that her parents would be handle things. Her getting involved would only be as a last resort and if it were seemingly more likely to occur, her father would have said something already._

"_It matters," Val told Richard softly. "You're playing a dangerous game."_

_Richard seemed unconcerned by Val's scrutiny. "Well, desperate times call for desperate measures, do they not?"_

_Val straightened up. "Not that desperate."_

"_And when is it that we should grow desperate? Is it when our enemies come knocking at our door?" Richard took a step closer to Val. "We agreed when this all first began, that we would do whatever it took to change the fate that had attempted to entrap us. Why now do you cower?"_

"_There is a difference between cowardice and reasonable caution," Val hissed. "You throw yourself into head first into every situation you find, and that ends up being what you lose first. I know what matters most- I know what my first priority is. Do you?"_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N): Hey ya'll! Hope your weekends are going well and that you're all ready for this week's update!**

**Shoutouts to KateKat1992, Liam1094, AlexisDumbee, Emma3mikan, fringeperson, jedijeff, FayKatriona, Sora Loves Rain, Tajinprincess, MissDoeProngsRose, Nanyin, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, Hp17, sisselina, KEZZ 1, Najada, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are the best! Hearing your excitement about things to come makes me just as excited and eager to write!**

**This chapter was beta read by Hannbells but not edited so any mistakes are still on me.**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_Dad's been gone for a while," Mia commented, glancing at her mom from the corner of her eye._

_Val didn't look up from the book she was flipping through. "I know. I've been trying to get in contact with him, but none of my messages are going through."_

"_Is he blocking you or is he…" she couldn't finish her sentence, feeling as though, if she said what she was thinking, that would make it come true._

"_I honestly can't tell," her mom admitted. "If this goes on any longer, I'm going to go check for myself."_

_A thought popped into Mia's head then. "What will happen to me?" she asked. "If something is wrong with Dad, what's going to happen here?"_

"_Nothing's going to happen to your dad," Val insisted, expression calm and sure._

"_What if you're wrong? What if whatever you two have been whispering about found Dad?"_

_Val didn't have an answer to that. "C'mon," she finally said. "Go get changed. We're going to do some more practice using the powers you got from me in a fight."_

* * *

"Most security cameras don't have audio," Bruce abruptly commented as they watched a sleek, black plane flew into view. A hatch opened up at the bottom of it, a gun descending out to point at Loki and they heard Natasha's voice echoing around the square as she demanded Loki stand down.

"This feed is currently coming from a drone," JARVIS informed him.

"Who's drone?" he asked.

"Does it matter?" Mia muttered. Loki had shot a spell at the jet, narrowly missing the plane and the building behind it, before being hit by Steve's shield.

Steve was throwing everything he had into the fight with Loki, but it was clear to Mia that the serum running through his veins did not match the power that the Asgardian held. While Loki may not actually be the god that the Norse thought him to be, it was easy to see why such a mistake had been made.

Mia's sharp inhale seemed overly loud in the now silent lab as they watched Loki knock Steve down and then kept him in place by pressing the end of his scepter to the top of Steve's head. "_Kneel_," he snarled.

Pushing the scepter aside, Steve hopped to his feet and spat, "_Not today_." A spinning jump-kick to the face sent Loki stumbling back and the fight continued.

Tony's voice sounded abruptly. "_Coming in now. Ready for the show, Mia dearest?_"

"Go on then," she told him, forcing herself to sound calm and collected. "Amaze me."

"_I always do. Now, JARVIS, get ready to announce my arrival."_

"Already done, Sir."

"Announce his arrival?" Bruce whispered to Mia.

"_Who is that?"_ Tony demanded. _"Who's there with you? Is there a boy in there with you?"_

"Is that really what you want to focus on right now?" Mia demanded. "Really?"

"Sir," JARVIS interrupted, saving Tony from the scathing set-down that Mia was preparing to deliver. "I am patching you into the quinjet's system's now."

"_Guy's all the over the place," _came Natasha's voice.

"_Agent Romanoff,"_ Tony interrupted. _"You miss me?"_

Music started blasting through the speakers and the camera feed abruptly shifted so that they were viewing the scene from high up, in Tony's suit. Tony was zooming towards the square and, once he was close enough that they could see Steve lying on the ground with Loki standing near him, he shot a blast at Loki and knocked him to the ground.

Mia heard the whirring of his suit and knew he had engaged all his weapons and was ready to fire at Loki. _"Make a move reindeer games."_

Finally able to see Loki's face clearly, Mia studied the Asgardian as he allowed his armor to disappear in a golden light. His expression was… odd. It wasn't completely blank, but it also didn't feel like any genuine emotion was there. He looked as though he was pretending to be someone scared that was feigning being stoic.

"That was too easy," Bruce muttered, sounding suspicious.

Leaning back on the balls of her feet, Mia ignored the sounds of Tony and Steve speaking to one another as she thought. "I agree. Tony may have some impressive weapons in his arsenal but, from what I saw of the footage of when he first arrived, Loki is basically bulletproof. I doubt anything Tony keeps in his suit would cause him any serious damage. Which means that, for some reason, he went into this planning to be caught."

Bruce leaned forwards, resting his forearms on the table. "Kind of a bold move, allowing yourself to be caged by your enemy."

"Only if you haven't already made a foolproof exit plan." Mia thought then of Clint and the other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Loki had taken. "I'll have to ask Fury the next time I see him how familiar the missing agents are with this carrier."

"You don't think he took that into account when he chose to make this his home base for this fight?"

"Better to be safe than sorry."

* * *

Once everyone was on the quinjet, Tony activated the Bluetooth on his suit shoved an earpiece into the Old Man's ear so they could both speak with Mia and Bruce.

"So, you guys think Rock of Ages gave up too easily?" Tony asked, having overheard Mia and Bruce speaking earlier.

"_Don't you?_" Mia asked. _"Physically, he's stronger than Steve and, as previously shown, he's impervious to bullets. Do you really think you could have subdued him so quickly unless he wanted to be caught?"_

"Well, I mean, I am pretty intimidating."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Maybe here on Earth, but I think they're used to seeing more impressive things than you out in space."

"_Steve's right," _Mia cut in before things dissolved into an argument. _"And I'm not saying that you had no chance of subduing him if things turned into a fight. You may have been able to, but you would have received some pretty heavy damage."_

Tony glanced back at their prisoner. Loki was staring down at his hands, jaw clenched. "So, he's a man with a plan. Sorry, Capisicle, looks like you're getting replaced."

"_When you arrive back, I need one of you to bring the scepter straight to the lab," _Mia instructed, and Tony could sense that she was rolling her eyes at the pair of them. _"Do not let anyone else touch it, understand? If at all possible, Tony should be the one carrying it- the less bodily contact made with the thing the better until I get a better understanding of how it works."_

The sound of thunder roaring rolled through the plane as the interior was lit up by lightning flashes. "Where's this coming from?" Natasha muttered, frowning out at the storm.

Glancing over his shoulder, Steve spotted Loki leaning forward, craning his head to look out the windows. "What's the matter?" Steve taunted. "Scared of a little lightening?"

"_That's very mature, Steve, well done," _Mia hissed.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki informed the other occupants, still on alert.

Something hit the roof of the plane and Natasha, Steve, and Tony all glanced upwards for a moment before jumping into action. Steve slipped on his cowl while Tony placed his helmet back on his head and Natasha pushed the plane to fly faster.

Once Tony's helmet was activated, the camera feed was automatically sent to Mia's lab. _"Wait!"_ she shouted before Tony could open the door. _"That storm came out of nowhere. Loki's brother Thor is the God of Thunder and Lightning. If he's there and you open that door, he'll take Loki."_

"And if I don't open the door, he'll probably just wreck the plane trying to get in," Tony argued, smacking the button that would open the jet ramp.

"What are you doing?" Steve demanded.

A blond man with a cape and a hammer appeared on the ramp. Without hesitation, he moved forward and threw Tony into Steve, knocking both to the floor, before grabbing Loki by the neck and dragging him forward. The binds holding Loki to his seat broke easily and then both men were out of the plane and disappearing into the clouds.

"So, that must be Thor," Tony commented into the now-silent jet.

"Great," Natasha said dryly. "Another Asgardian."

"That guy's a friendly," Steve pointed out.

"_Allegedly," _Mia broke in, reminding the two men that she was still there. _"Also, I told you so."_

"Doesn't matter," said Natasha in response to Steve's statement. "If he frees Loki, or kills him, the Tesseract's lost."

Tony strode towards the edge of the ramp.

"Stark!" called Steve. "We need a plan of attack."

"I have a plan," Tony shot back. "Attack." With that, Tony threw himself out of the plane.

With a groan, Steve moved to grab a parachute and hurriedly pulled it on.

"I'd sit this one out, Cap," Natasha warned him. "These guys come from legend, they're basically Gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that." Steve grabbed his shield and prepared to dive.

"_Please be careful," _Hermione whispered in his ear.

* * *

"JARVIS, are there any satellites or drones or anything at all really in the area that could be used to locate Thor and Loki?" Mia asked as soon as the two Asgardians disappeared from the plane.

"I am already working to locate them now," JARVIS told her.

She and Bruce watched as first Tony and then Steve moved to follow their escaped prisoners trail and Mia muted the connection so that they wouldn't be an unnecessary distraction to either man.

"So, what do you think? Is Thor going to be a help or a hindrance here?" Bruce asked.

Mia didn't even need a minute to think it over. "A hinderance. I'm almost positive that he's going to turn out to be an absolute pain."

Bruce smirked faintly at her. "You sound pretty sure without having met the guy."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files are rather comprehensive. When he first came to Earth, he was the stereotypical spoiled prat- the prince of his world, the apple of his father's eye, living his life however he pleased without consequences. He met a girl, Jane Foster, and their relationship is what set him on this new path of 'just and honorable ruler'. Supposedly." Mia wasn't shy about letting Bruce observe how little faith she had in that idea. Thor and Jane had only spent a few days together, not nearly enough time for Thor's personality to truly shift so greatly.

He may have been a hero at the moment be departed from Earth, but there was no guarantee that he hadn't fallen back into old habits the moment he returned to Asgard.

Bruce seemed to agree with her. "Never a good sign when a person's improved attitude is due to a person they only spent a few days with. The argument could be made that your brother made a similar change but he was held captive for much longer so that doesn't really apply."

The video feed on the screen abruptly changed from Tony's camera to a camera hovering high above a cliff face. Mia could barely make out the two people standing closely together. "I have located both Asgardians," JARVIS announced. "I am activating the long-range listening device now."

It took a moment, but faint audio began to filter to them. _"Not here. You give up the Tesseract- you give up this poisonous dream! You come home," _one man, Thor she assumed, was saying.

"_I don't have it,"_ Loki responded, and Thor reared back._ "You need the Cube to bring me home, but I've sent off, I know not where."_

"_You listen well, Brother-"_ Thor started to threaten before disappearing, having been hit by a red and gold object.

Loki just stood there for a moment. _"I'm listening?"_

Mia and Bruce both snorted with laughter. "JARVIS," Mia called once she was sure her voice wouldn't shake. "Would you please split the views so we can watch Loki and still observe what's happening with Tony?"

"Of course, Miss Stark."

"I really need to figure out a way to convince him to call me Mia," she muttered as the view from Tony's suit came up next to the camera still trained on Loki.

Tony was facing off against Thor, who had his hammer clutched in his hand. _"Do not touch me again," _Thor warned her brother.

"_Then don't touch my stuff," _Tony fired back.

"_You have no idea what you're dealing with," _the blond told him seriously.

"_Uh… Shakespeare in the park?"_ her brother guessed. _"Doth mother know you wear-th her drapes?"_

"_This is beyond you, metal man. Loki will face Asgardian justice."_

"The same justice that Thor faced when he was first thrown down to Earth?" Mia asked derisively after she'd reconnected the audio line to Tony's suit. "Considering the fact that Thor technically just invaded this world without invitation and absconded with a government prisoner, I'm not sure how effective their justice system actually is when it comes to personal reformation."

Tony snorted before repeating a variation of what she'd said. _"Isn't being dumped on Earth to cause problems here basically what Asgardian justice is? After all, that's what daddy did to you."_

Thor's hand visibly tightened on his hammer. _"You know not what you speak of."_

"_Whatever you say, Fabio. You can have Loki once he gives up the Cube. Until then, stay out of the way."_ Tony turned to start walking away but couldn't seem to resist one last jap, much to Mia's exasperation. _"Tourist."_

That was the moment Thor seemed to snap, throwing his hammer into Tony's chest and then the fight was on.

"Why isn't Loki trying to leave?" Bruce asked, frowning at the screen showing Loki sitting down on the cliff top to watch the two men fight. "This would be the perfect moment to make a break for it."

"I told you, he wants to be brought in," Mia repeated, also frowning at the screen.

"Yeah, but now he's making it obvious. There's no subtlety here, no pretending that he was truly captured. Now he's just… waiting to catch a ride. Isn't this guy supposed to be the God of Tricks and Mischief or something? What does he have to gain from being so obvious?"

Mia bit her lip. "Perhaps he's hoping to goad his captors into doing something? If he's obviously unconcerned, even willing, to be here, his guards are likely to be more nervous around him."

The fight between Thor and Tony was almost painful to watch and if it wasn't for the fact that JARVIS was allowing her constant access to Tony's vitals and the suit's operational status then Mia would have been an even larger mess of nerves. Steve's arrival on the scene just made things worse.

Bruce tried to distract her by joking, "Seems like the man really likes his hammer."

"Most men do," Mia automatically shot back. "And they hate when another man tries to interfere with their handling of it."

Choking at the implications of that statement, Bruce's train of thought was derailed at the amount of damage done by Thor's hammer striking Steve's shield.

"If you boys are finally done with your pissing contest," Mia started, tone sharp. "Perhaps you could retrieve Loki and return to the helicarrier. We are still on a bit of time crunch here and it would be nice if you could leave the last bit of forest still undamaged alone."

Flinching slightly at her tone, Tony and Steve moved to do as they were told.

* * *

The sounds of multiple footsteps echoing down the hall pulled Bruce and Mia from their respective screens. "Either they're back with Loki or they're coming to arrest me," Bruce said.

"I resent the implication that I have done nothing worth being arrested for," Mia retorted, just as a small brigade began to march by.

"If any Stark is going to be arrested first, it'll be Tony," he said with absolute surety as they caught a glimpse of Loki.

The Asgardian deliberately locked eyes with Bruce as he passed, smirking the whole while, until his gaze flickered over to Mia. The change that came over him would have been obvious to even the most unobservant of guards. His smirk instantly fell and he faced forward so quickly, Mia wondered if it hurt his neck. A weird shuffling happened, where it looked as though Loki was trying to hurry his guards up, rather than it being the other way around.

Bruce looked over at her. "What was that about?"

Still staring out into the hall, she answered, "I have no idea."

"Both of your presences are requested on the bridge," JARVIS announced. "The others are already there waiting for you."

Mia sighed. "Is it just me, or does JARVIS sound a bit like the teacher who would always encourage the readers to 'socialize'?"

He laughed. "God, I hated those teachers."

"Agreed. Children are monsters, especially to other children."

Walking out of the lab and down the hall side-by-side, Mia could see several people staring at them. Well, more at Bruce. Part of her wanted to shout something rude at them like Tony would, but she knew it would just embarrass Bruce.

When they arrived at the bridge, Mia sat down next Steve just as the feed of Fury speaking with Loki popped up. Bruce stood a few seats away from her and Natasha was directly across, completely focused on studying Loki.

"_In case it's unclear, you try to escape, you so much as scratch that glass-" _Fury paused to press a few buttons, opening up the floor beneath Loki's cage to showing a straight drop to the ground thousands of feet below. _"Thirty thousand feet straight down in a steel trap," _the Director threatened. _"You get how that works?" _Closing the floor, Fury gestured to Loki. _"Ant."_ Then he gestured to the panel. _"Boot."_

"_It's an impressive cage," _Loki sneered, seemingly unconcerned. _"Not built, I think, for me."_

"_Built for something a lot stronger than you,"_ Fury informed him.

"_Oh, I've heard." _Loki slowly turned to look straight into the camera in the corner of his cell. _"A mindless beast, making play that he's still a man. How desperate are you, that you call on such lost creatures to defend you?" _Mia clenched her fists, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Bruce. He didn't even look concerned by what Loki was saying, just resigned.

"_How desperate am I?"_ Fury repeated. _"You threaten my world with war, you steal a force you can't hope to control, you talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."_

"_And you think you could control it?" _asked Loki, smirking at the other man. _"Control a power that was never meant to be yours? You know as well as I that the Tesseract was never supposed to be used by you; you were just the guardian until its rightful owner could return for it, and a poor guardian at that."_

Fury visibly stiffened. _"And just what exactly do you mean by that?"_

Loki ignored him, going off on a different tangent. _"It burns you to have come so close, to have the Tesseract, to have power- unlimited power. And for what?" _Facing the camera again, Loki asked, _"A warm light for all mankind to share?"_ Glancing back at Fury, he finished, _"And then to be reminded what real power is."_

"_Well, let me know if 'real power' wants a magazine or something,"_ Fury told him dismissively, striding from the room.

The monitors turned off then and the group gather around the table sat quietly for a moment. "He really grows on you, doesn't he?" Bruce joked.

"Loki's gonna drag this out," Steve said, frowning at the now-blank screen. "So, Thor, what's his play?"

Mia glanced over at Thor, watching carefully as he began to explain. "He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard nor any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the Earth in return, I suspect, for the Tesseract."

"How do you know about them, if they're not from any world known?" Mia asked.

Thor looked at her in confusion for a moment, almost as if he had forgotten that she was there. "They have been used to attack other planets in different areas of the galaxy."

"You mean Loki has attacked other planets before?" Bruce asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"No," Thor shook his head. "The army belongs to another. Their master is allowing Loki use of them."

"In the file on Loki," Mia interrupted. "It said he was attempting to seize the throne on Asgard. How did he go about doing so?"

"Why is that important?" the blond alien asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"We need to know our enemy in order to successfully fight him," she told him, meeting his gaze evenly.

Deliberating for a moment, Thor finally said, "Loki allowed several Frost Giants into Asgard in order to try and start a war. Then, when the Frost Giants once again entered the kingdom with his assistance, he killed the Giant's king in order to make himself out to be a hero. We found out what he was doing though and put a stop to his plan."

Mia stared blankly at the table, brow furrowed in thought.

"What changed?" Natasha asked.

Everyone but Mia looked over at her. "What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Loki went from working behind the scenes and in the shadows, manipulating people and situations so that he could get what he wanted. Now, he's doing a full-frontal assault."

Nodding in agreement with Natasha, Mia added, "Imagine that you're trying to go somewhere and find a brick wall blocking your path that you need to find a way around. Before, Loki was the kind of person who would try to find a way over the wall that used the least amount of effort. It would be quick, quiet, and efficient. Now, he's barreling at the wall and trying to rip it down with his bare hands."

"So the question is," Natasha started, "what happened over the course of six months to change the way of thinking he's honed for over a thousand years?"

"While I do agree that there's something wrong here," Steve interrupted. "Our first priority needs to be figuring out what to do about this alien army heading our way."

Bruce nodded in agreement. "Since there haven't been alerts of any unidentified objects in our area of space, the army must be somewhere else. So, it's safe to say that Loki's main priority at this moment is building another portal- that's what he needs Erik Selvig for."

"Selvig?" Thor repeated, stiffening.

"He's an astrophysicist," the scientist explained.

Thor frowned. "He's a friend."

"Loki has them under some kind of spell," Natasha told him. "Along with one of ours."

"I wanna know why Loki let us take him," Steve tossed out. "He's not leading an army from here."

"I don't think we should be focusing on Loki," Bruce disagreed. "That guy's brain is a bag full of cats- you can smell crazy on him."

"Have care how you speak," Thor warned softly. "Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard and he is my brother."

Natasha was unimpressed. "He killed eighty people in two days."

Hesitating for a moment, Thor offered, "He's adopted?

Mia huffed. "What a wonderful brother you are. I can't possibly understand why Loki might have any issues with you."

"I think it's about the mechanics," Bruce interjected loudly before Thor, who was glaring at Mia, could respond. "Iridium. What do they need the Iridium for?"

"It's a stabilizing agent." Looking up, Mia felt the tension draining from her frame as Tony strode into the room with Phil. Even though JARVIS had reassured her that he was fine, she hadn't been able to relax until she could see Tony for herself.

Hopping to her feet, she hurried around the table and threw her arms around Tony. "Took you long enough," she muttered into his jacket.

Awkwardly standing there, arms raised in the air as if he wasn't totally sure what to do with them, Tony whined, "Why? Why must you do this to me?"

"Don't whine," Mia teased him, hugging him tighter. "Accept your fate."

"You know, if I said something like that, I'd get into trouble." Tony finally hugged her back, still seeming a bit hesitant.

"That's because you have a reputation." Mia finally stepped back, smiling innocently up at her brother. "I, however, am an angel."

Tony barked a laugh but, before he could respond, Natasha interrupted. "You were saying something about a stabilizing agent."

Giving her an unimpressed look, Tony threw his arm around Mia's shoulder and led her back to the group. "Yeah, means the portal won't collapse on itself like it did at S.H.I.E.L.D." Waiting for Mia to take her seat next to Steve again, Tony set a black case she hadn't even noticed him holding down in front of her before wandering over to the control panels where Fury had stood when they'd first came aboard the carrier. "Also means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants."

Glancing around the personal working on the floor below, Tony called, "Ah, raise the mizzen mast! Ship the topsails!" When they all stopped working to stare at Tony in confusion, he abruptly pointed at a man and loudly proclaimed, "That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice, but we did."

The others were seemingly starting to get frustrated by Tony's antics, but Mia just sat back in amusement.

Staring around at the command panels, Tony covered one eye. "How does Fury even see these?" he asked the brunette who usually stuck close to Fury's side.

"He turns," she snapped.

"Sounds exhausting," Tony sighed. Turning back to the group, he returned to their original discussion. "The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source of high energy density. Something to kick start the Cube."

The brunette agent frowned at him. "When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?"

"Last night," he answered flippantly. "The packet, Selvig's notes, the extraction theory papers- am I the only one who did the reading?"

"Yes," Mia immediately told him.

"Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?" Steve asked.

"He'd have to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb Barrier," Bruce answered, deep in thought.

"Unless Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the Quantum Tunneling effect," Tony retorted, striding over to Bruce.

"Well, if he could do that, he could achieve heavy-ion fusion at any reactor on the planet," the other scientist hypothesized.

"Finally!" crowed Tony. "Someone who speaks English!"

Looking over at Mia, Steve muttered, "Is that what just happened?" Mia shook her head.

As Tony shook hands with Bruce, he said, "It's good to meet you, Doctor Banner. Your work on anti-electronic collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster."

"Tony!" Mia reprimanded.

"Thanks," Bruce muttered with a sigh.

"Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube," Fury warned as he entered the room. "I was hoping you might join him."

"I need to start studying the scepter," Mia said, standing up. "I assume that's what in this case, correct?" she asked Tony.

"Sorry I didn't get it to the lab," he told her with a wink.

"I know it's magical, but it works a lot like a HYDRA weapon," Steve said, standing and grabbing the case before Mia could. "You might be able to use it to find the Tesseract."

"I don't know about that, but it powered by the cube," Fury allowed, fixing his good eye on Mia. "And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor repeated. "I do not understand-"

"I do!" Steve interrupted, seeming excited. At the strange looks everyone was giving him, he shrunk back slightly. "I… I understood that reference."

Mia gave him a quick smile before turning to face Fury again. "Why do you think the scepter is being powered by the cube?"

Fury frowned at her. "Because, the blue rays coming from it when Loki casts a spell are the same as the ones the Tesseract releases." When Mia did say anything he asked, "Do you disagree?"

Keeping her expression cool and composed, she told him, "I'll know more once I get a chance to run some tests."

Tony cleared his throat. "So, shall we?" he asked Bruce.

"This way, Sir," Bruce responded, gesturing down the hall and the four quickly strode down to the lab.

Once inside, Tony and Bruce headed straight to computers while Hermione and Steve went over to a table off to the side. "You don't have to stay," she told Steve softly as he set the case down. "I'm sure there are other things you'd rather be doing."

"I don't mind," he reassured her. "Besides, I like watching you do magic." Flushing slightly, he immediately tried to back-track. "I mean… it's just different and I…"

Hermione laughed. "I know what you meant."

Opening up the case, Hermione took a moment to study the scepter. The engravings on the staff were unlike anything she had seen before and she wondered what they meant- were they a language or were they just decorative? The jewel gleamed bright and blue. Yes, it was the same color as the Tesseract, but their powers were entirely different. The Tesseract could open portals. This stone controlled minds- she was more sure than ever that it wasn't Loki's magic that was controlling Clint and the others.

"What are you thinking?" Steve asked, watching her closely as she studied the stone.

"The thing about magical objects," Hermione murmured, "especially ones that can be used to play with the mind, is that being the one holding it doesn't necessarily mean that you're the one in control of it."

"What do you mean?"

Still keeping her eyes on the staff, she told him, "When I was in my second year at Hogwarts, a monster was released in our school. No one had any idea what it was or how it had gotten in. In the end, we found out a first-year student had been the one responsible for unleashing the creature on the school. However, it wasn't actually her that did any of those things. It turns out that, at the beginning of the year, she had been given a diary that would respond when you wrote something in it. There was actually a consciousness in the diary and, the more she wrote in it, the more power it took from her until one day, it started being able to control her body. She would lose hours at a time, no recollection of what she had been doing or where she had been. When she would wake up, something terrible would have happened. She may have been holding the diary but, in the end, the diary was actually the one in control."

"You don't think Loki is actually the one in charge here," Steve surmised, leaning on the table. "You think something is controlling him."

Hermione finally looked at him. "He went from cunning and manipulative to obvious and brash in the span of six months. Why?"

"Maybe he decided to try something different since his previous attempt failed?" he offered, but his tone showed how little he actually believed that.

"But it almost worked! If he figured out what went wrong the first time and adjusted his plan, there's a strong chance he wouldn't fail a second time. Loki's intelligent, he would have known that."

"Say someone is controlling Loki, why would they have him doing things like this when you're saying that Loki could achieve the same goal using less obvious means?"

"Time," Hermione instantly responded, the pieces snapping together in her mind. "Loki's plan would take too long. Sending an army to Earth is messy and obvious but quicker. Whoever is actually in charge here wants the Tesseract as soon as possible."

Steve considered her argument. "If that's the case, then why didn't he just send Loki to grab the Tesseract and then immediately return? Why allow him to use the army at all?"

That stumped Hermione. "I… I don't know," she admitted, clearly frustrated. "I don't have all the answers." She turned back to the scepter then, reaching out. "Maybe this will give us a clue." As soon as her hand made contact with the scepter, her eyes rolled back in her head and she fell to the ground, heading bouncing against the ground with a sickening crack.

The last thing she heard were a chorus of voices calling her name.

* * *

"_You lack resolve," Val stated, frowning down at Mia's collapsed form._

_She'd just been put through the most intense training session to date and Mia could tell that Val's worries about what was going on with Richard were causing her to push Mia harder than ever. "What does that even mean?" she grumbled, the memory of Harry trying to teach her how to do a Patronus and his useless advice skittering across her mind. 'Let the happiness of the memory fill you up.' Honestly._

_As Mia pushed herself upright, Val came to stand right in front of her. "Every move you make is laced with fear. When you counter my strikes, it's because you fear being hit. When you move to attack me, you fear making contact. When a challenge is set before you, you fear failing. At this moment, your every action screams of senseless fright. The last thing you need in a battle is fear because nothing good will come from it."_

_Mia flinched, her mother's words striking just a bit too close. "Fear is important- it can help keep you alive."_

"_Not when you're already fighting for your freedom or your life," Val countered. "What you need then is resolve, the absolute determination that you will be the one to survive. When you are challenged, you win. When you counter an attack, you don't let them touch you. When you attack, you kill. Every battle you engage in will be fought with your full resolve and if you can't do that, then you don't fight. It's just that simple._

"_Control your fear. If you don't, then you are nothing more than a liability to those you wish to protect."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N): And we're back with yet another chapter for you all! This one is one of my favorites and I hope you all like it as well!**

**Shoutouts to daydreamer1119, Adharablack85-2, , Cupcake46813, Emma3mikan, jedijeff, sisselina, blu199086, KEZZ 1, Spidey-phd (who gets all the gold stars), Hp17, fringeperson, Sora Loves Rain, Tajinprincess, Catzandbookz8, alexaguamenti, Cassie-011, , Stephanie MRV, Nanyin, KateKat1992, Najada, Bronzelove, and Guests for reviewing! You all are the best and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger (but also not really xD). Hope this makes up for it!**

**This chapter was beta read by the stupendous Hannbells (who also LOVED it) but not edited so mistakes are all mine!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_And just where have you been?" Mia demanded, staring down at the man seated on their couch with her hands on her hips._

_Richard opened his eyes and smiled up at his daughter. "I believe that I am the one who should be using that tone, not you."_

_Mia scowled at him. "I'm not the one who ran off without telling anyone where he was going. Do you know how worried we were about you."_

"_You needn't be," he told her. "I promise that I am well. There were things I needed to attend to at home."_

_Unappeased, she asked, "What kinds of things?"_

"_Nothing you need to worry about."_

_Val entered into the room then, raising an eyebrow at Richard. "You're back."_

"_Yes, thank you for taking a moment to narrate everything you see."_

_Giving him an unimpressed look, Val said, "Are you trying to lie about what you've been up to again? You know that won't work."_

"_I am not lying," Richard said, standing up. "I am refraining from explaining what I have been doing until I have accomplished what I have set out to do."_

"_And what if you don't accomplish it?" Mia questioned. "What if you fail?"_

_Richard smirked. "Failure is not a possibility."_

"_Failure is always a possibility," Val murmured. "And we're the ones who will pay for it when you do."_

* * *

_Mia stared around in confusion. She didn't know where she was. Everything was… blue._

_How had she ended up here?_

_It took a bit, but she finally remembered standing in the lab talking with Steve and reaching out to touch Loki's scepter. The stone had glowed for just a moment before…_

_A chill swept over her and the atmosphere suddenly felt oppressive. Had she somehow been transported into the stone? If so, was it just her mind or all of her? She didn't know which would be worse- disappearing from the lab entirely in front of Steve or falling unconscious._

_What if she hadn't fallen unconscious though? What if this is what happened to the people that were being controlled and her body was currently attacking Steve, Tony, and Bruce? Mia could feel her heartrate increase as she began to hyperventilate. If anything happened to them, if she was responsible for hurting them in any way, Mia didn't know how she was going to be able to live with herself._

_Despite the fact that there were no walls, nothingness all around her, Mia had the overwhelming feeling that something was closing in on her. A looming presence, dark and powerful, was starting to surround her and pin her down._

_She was abruptly yanked away and when Mia got her bearings again, she found herself standing in Hogwarts. Confused, she looked around and immediately spotted her younger self, Hermione, coming out the Charms classroom with her books clutched to her chest. She looked so innocent…_

"_It's no wonder no one can stand her." Mia spun around to see a young Ron and Harry walking a bit ahead. She remembered this, remembered Ron's insult and how much it had hurt. "She's a nightmare, honestly."_

_Young Hermione's eyes welled up and she hurried away, brushing past the boys._

_Watching this memory with fresh eyes, Mia knew that this had been the moment that had started her on the path she'd walked. Steve had once asked her if she would do anything differently if she could go back, if she had a second chance. She hadn't been able to answer him then and she still couldn't now._

_The scene changed then, pulling her into one memory after another of her life before, taking her through all the important moments that had happened after she'd found out she was a witch. Some of them were good, but the majority of them were bad._

_Why was she seeing this? What was the point?_

* * *

"Hermione!" Steve shouted as she fell to the ground. He tried to grab her but he couldn't move fast enough and the sound her head made when it hit the ground caused a shiver to travel down his spine. Falling to his knees next to her, Steve reached out and gently ran his fingers over her skull, checking for any injuries.

Tony and Bruce, who had both been acting like they weren't eavesdropping, spun around at the noise.

"Mia!" Tony raced over and kneeled down on the other side of his sister. "What the hell happened?!" he demanded.

"I don't know!" Steve answered, his panic only lessoned slightly by the fact that there was no blood or obvious injuries on Hermione. "She grabbed the staff and then went unconscious!"

Bruce awkwardly knelt beside Tony, reaching out to check Hermione's pulse with steady hands while keeping an eye on his watch. "Her heartrate is at around 120 beats per minute- which is way higher than it should be."

"What the hell is going on here?" Fury demanded, striding into the lab with Natasha and Thor at his heels.

Jumping up, Tony headed straight for Thor. "Hey! What the fuck did your brother do to my sister?!"

* * *

_Hermione stared numbly at the latest memory. She, the other Hermione, was lying on the floor screaming as Bellatrix threw curse after curse at her. The longer she had been trapped here, the more memories she had been forced to relive, the more she had begun to... sync up with her younger self. She felt what emotions Hermione had been experiencing in every memory she viewed. Fear as she stared down Fluffy, panic at the realization that the basilisk was right around the corner, agony as the dementors tugged at her mind, pain at Ron's ridicule at the Yule Ball, weariness as Harry once again took out his anger on her for no apparent reason, and a slowly growing rage that had become more and more prevalent as time passed. _

_Anger at Harry for never listening. Anger at Ron for being too stupid to take anything seriously. Anger at Dumbledore for not protecting any of them. Anger at the Order for blinding taking orders from Dumbledore without ever bothering to ask 'why'- these emotions were felt by both present and past Hermione._

_Present-Hermione had a new anger though, one all her own- anger with herself. It was there every time she watched herself just stand there and took the cruel words hurled at her by both Ron and Harry. Every time she did their homework for them because it was easier than telling them to do it themselves. Every time she backed down even though she knew she was right. Every time she was hurt, either physically or emotionally, because of Harry's recklessness but never bothered to say a word._

_Hermione Granger was weak. She was weak and pathetic and tried to cover it up by being smart and clever. And no matter how hard the present Hermione tried to distance herself from her past, that weakness was a part of her._

_The other Hermione was twitching on the ground when she was suddenly disappeared, dragging Hermione along with her in the darkness._

_They were in a park now. Other Hermione was younger now though, only about four years old or so. Hermione watched as she finally climbed to her feet and wandered over to a swing set. A woman appeared in the swing next to her a few moments later. Hermione stared at her for a moment, brows furrowed, as she tried to place her. She knew that face…_

_That was Val. That was her mom. _

_As though a light switch had been thrown on, her mind was flooded with memories that had previously been concealed in the darkest corners of her mind._

_She remembered a home full of laughter and love._

_She remembered learning how to not fear heights because there would always be someone to catch her._

_She remembered a time where she always felt accepted and never felt alone._

_She remembered being Mia, a Mia before becoming Tony Stark's Mia, even as she watched the memories play out again before her eyes._

_She remembered being so happy, and then she remembered losing it all in the blink of an eye._

* * *

Thor stared at Tony before looking at Mia with furrowed brows. "I know not what you mean. Loki is still in his cell- he could not have laid hands on your sister."

"Mia barely even touched that staff before this happened and since it's your brother's staff, it's his fault and since you're the reason he's here in the first place, that means that this is on you!"

"You need to calm down," Natasha told Tony lowly, moving to stand in between him and Thor.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!"

"Tony!" At the sound of Steve's shout, Tony spun around and felt his heart catch in his throat at the sight of Mia twitching.

"She's having a seizure," Bruce warned them. Picking Mia up, Bruce moved her away from the table into the middle of the room and placed her on the floor on her side.

Steve stared in horror, praying that he wasn't going to have to add Hermione's name to the list of people he'd lost.

* * *

_Abruptly, the scenery around her began to change. She was falling now, plummeting to the ground as she stared up at helicopter that was growing smaller and smaller with every second that passed. Why was she falling?_

_She was scared of what was going to happen yet resigned to what would come. What was coming though? The emotions didn't feel right. They almost felt like a blanket settling over hers- she could feel them and they touched hers but they still weren't actually her feelings because… this wasn't one of her memories._

_The ground buckled beneath her as she slammed down. It was dark before a moment but then her eyes were snapping open and she was on her feet. Climbing out of the hole, she found herself standing in the middle of a city street, but it was totally unfamiliar to her. There were buildings with bright, neon signs crowded together on both sides of the street. A few of the buildings were burning, as were several cars that had been left abandoned by the people fleeing away from her._

_Mia had no control here. She couldn't turn her head to look around, couldn't speak to try and ask anyone what was going all. All she could do was drown in the anger coursing through her._

_So much anger. Anger and pain and fear and the inability to even understand why she felt the way she did. But Mia thought it might have something to do with the monster coming towards her. Even with her extensive reading about both muggle and magical creatures, Mia had no idea what the thing running straight at her was. Part of its ribcage was actually showing and for some reason, that was thing she found herself focusing on most. Why was its ribcage showing? Did it hurt? Was that why it seemed angry?_

_It took her a moment to realize that she was running now too, running towards the monster that was literally tossing fleeing civilians away in its eagerness to get to her._

"_Hulk!" it shouted gleefully, and that's when Mia finally realized where she was._

_This nightmare wasn't one of hers, wasn't meant to be seen by her. It was Bruce's._

* * *

Steve had just allowed himself to relax once Hermione had stopped seizing when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't touch that!" Steve snapped at Fury when he made a movement towards the scepter. Springing to his feet, Steve planted himself firmly between the S.H.I.E.L.D. director and Loki's scepter.

Fury froze. "What exactly do you think you're doing, soldier?"

"That scepter is somehow connected to what happened to Hermione," Steve told him, stance tense. "Last thing we need is you poking around with another thing you don't understand and somehow making it worse."

"And just what do you mean by that?"

Instead of answering his question, Steve asked one of his own. "What did Loki mean when he said you were just supposed to be the guardian of the Tesseract?"

"You said it yourself, Captain," Natasha broke in taking a step towards Steve. "Loki's trying to drag this out- that isn't our priority right now."

"Just because he's crazy doesn't mean he's lying," Tony interjected, slowly turning to look at Fury. "He mentioned that the Tesseract has a 'rightful owner' but, according to my old man's research, that cube has been here on Earth for almost a thousand years. So, who exactly has a claim on it that's known on an intergalactic level?"

"That information is classified," Coulson announced as he stepped into the room, eyes scanning over crowd of people within.

"So classified that it's not even mentioned in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files?" challenged Tony, letting go of Hermione's hand and standing up. "'Cause I've gone over every piece of info you guys have that even remotely relate to the Tesseract and nothing in there mentions another person who's had contact with it."

"Contrary to your belief, Stark, you are not entitled to any information you want." Fury stared Tony down. "Your father may have been a founding member of this organization, but this isn't a hereditary sort of business."

Steve watched as Tony clenched his jaw. "An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome."

"We need to focus on the issue at hand," Natasha stated, looking between Tony and Steve. "Loki is our primary objective."

"Maybe for you, but ours," Tony waved between himself and Steve, "is Mia. And before you start saying shit about the safety of my sister compared to the safety of the world or whatever, I'd just like to point out that nobody likes a hypocrite. Your number one priority is Barton and we all know it- don't even bother trying to say otherwise."

Natasha's gaze hardened. "Regardless of whether or not that's true, I'm not the one running around playing hero- I never pretended to be a good guy."

"Guess it's a good thing that I'm not a hero then, isn't it?" Steve spoke, moving to stand next to Tony but not too far that he wouldn't be able to stop Fury if he made another move for the scepter. "I've always just been a kid from Brooklyn."

* * *

_Everything faded to blue again but shifted again, a new place taking shape. Once again, her movements were limited, and Mia couldn't see enough details to tell where she was. She felt… heavy. Her movements were clunky. _

"_C'mon," she was saying, but it wasn't her voice. "We gotta go."_

_Tony. That was Tony's voice which meant that this was Tony's memory. Mia knew she shouldn't be there and she tried with all her might to move, to force her way out of this scene. This was an invasion of privacy, one that felt far more personal than before because this was her brother and not the alter-ego of her friend. Bruce's files said he didn't remember much from when he was transformed. He probably wouldn't mind knowing she had seen a bit from the Hulk's perspective. Tony would mind though._

"_Move for me," Tony's voice ordered a man in front of them, bleeding on top of several cloth bags. "C'mon, we got a plan, we're gonna stick to it."_

"_This was always the plan, Stark," the man whispered slowly, skin pale._

_Mia could feel the toxic mix of determination and denial coursing through Tony. "Come on, you're gonna go see your family. Get up."_

_Yinsen. That was his name. Tony's thoughts were beginning to mix with hers. Yinsen's lips moved soundlessly for a moment before he finally choked out, "My family is dead. I'm going to see them now, Stark." Horror crashed through her. "It's okay," Yinsen reassured them. "I want this. I want this."_

_It hurt. It hurt so much but Tony didn't want Yinsen to see that, didn't want his last memories of Tony to be of him hurting. Yinsen wouldn't want that. "Thank you for saving me," he told Yinsen softly, forcing a small smile. _

_Inhaling sharply, Yinsen gasped, "Don't waste it. Don't waste your life." Then, just like that, he was gone._

_He'd died for him, given his life to save the playboy billionaire who'd proudly bore the title of 'Merchant of Death'. Yinsen had died for Tony and it wasn't worth it, Tony wasn't worth it._

_As Tony raged against those who had been holding him, she screamed._

* * *

"Guys?" Bruce called softly.

Tony and Steve glanced back behind them and both froze. Hermione was still laying there, silent and still except for the tears streaming down her face.

Steve instantly moved to kneel next to Hermione, instinctively trusting Tony to watch his back and keep an eye on Fury and Natasha. "What happened?" he demanded, grabbing Hermione's hand.

"No idea. She just started crying."

Swearing, Tony ran a hand through his hands. "We need to know what's going on; someone needs to talk to Loki about what the fuck that jewel is."

"We already know what it is-" Fury started but Steve interrupted him.

"Hermione doesn't think that the spear is connected to the Tesseract. She thinks that the jewel is something else because it controls minds and the Tesseract opens portals. The army's master that Thor was talking about… she was saying that he might actually be the one calling the shots here by controlling him with the jewel." Steve knew that Hermione would hate that he'd told the others her suspicions when there was no actual proof, but she could be as angry as she wanted as long as she just woke up.

Thor perked up. "Truly? The Lady Stark she does not believe Loki to be in control of his actions, but at the mercy of another?"

"It doesn't matter what she thinks," Natasha said sharply. "She-"

"She has magic," Bruce announced, looking at Thor. "If anyone here would know about how that thing works, it's her."

"Even if that's true," Coulson interjected softly, voice still calm, "I doubt Loki would be able to tell us what's going on."

Steve locked eyes with the mild-mannered agent. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't try."

* * *

_It was snowing, but she wasn't cold._

_She was desperate. The wind was beating against the side of her face as she hung on to the side of train car. "Bucky!"_

_Steve. That was Steve's voice and this was Steve's memory and she couldn't do this. _

_Steve's heart raced as he edged closer to his best friend, who was desperately hanging on to the car with both hands._

"_Hang on!" Steve shouted, moving as fast as he dared. His fear was her fear, except she knew how this was going to end already and she didn't want to see this, didn't want to feel this._

_The bar audibly creaked beneath Bucky's hand as Steve reached out. "Grab my hand!"_

_Just as Bucky reached out, the bar he was clinging to snapped off. Bucky's screams as he fell echoed off the mountains around them and as they watched him fall in horrified silence, both considered falling after him._

'_I'm with you to the end of the line.'_

_This couldn't be the end of the line. This wasn't the end of the line._

_No. No no no no no no no…_

_The denial reverberated through Steve's mind and echoed into her. _

_This wasn't how it was supposed to end._

_Their eyes squeezed closed, praying that this wasn't real and when they opened them, they wouldn't be alone._

_When they opened again, they were staring at a screen showing that the plane was heading straight for New York. Staring out the window at the blue sky that was just starting to lighten as the sun began its ascent, they knew what they had to do._

_Turning on the radio, they shouted, "Come in, this is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?"_

"_Captain Rogers, what is your-" a man began to respond before he was cut off._

"_Steve, is that you?" Peggy called. "Are you alright?"_

_Their heart leapt. They were glad her voice was going to be the last thing they heard, even if it hurt to know that they would be leaving her alone afterwards. "Peggy! Schmit's dead!"_

"_What about the plane?" she asked._

"_That's a little bit tougher to explain," they hedged, still pressing buttons in the hopes that maybe they had earned a miracle._

"_Just give me your coordinates and I'll find you a safe landing site." Peggy sounded so sure, confident that they could find a solution._

_They'd already found it though. "There's not gonna be a safe landing. But I can try to force it down."_

"_I-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do."_

"_There's not enough time. This thing is moving too fast and it's heading for New York." They wished there was another way but… giving up their life to save millions of others was all they could do. Would saving all those lives make up for not being able to save Bucky though? Would that make things right? "I gotta put her in the water."_

"_Please, don't do this." Peggy's voice was shaking. "We-we have time, we can work it out."_

"_Right now, I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer, a lot of people are going to die." They stared out at the sky, sure of what they were about to do. "Peggy, this is my choice."_

_When she didn't say anything, they knew that they had finally managed to make Peggy Carter speechless. Propping their compass with her picture in it in front of them, they stared at it for a moment before aiming the plane downwards. "Peggy?" they asked._

"_I'm here," she answered softly._

"_I'm gonna need a raincheck on that dance."_

_There was a long pause before Peggy finally said, "Alright. A week next Saturday at the Stork Club."_

"_You got it," they promised, wishing they could keep it._

"_Eight'o'clock on the dot and don't you dare be late," she ordered. "Understood?"_

_At least they could see Bucky again now. "You know, I still don't know how to dance."_

"_I'll show you how," she breathed. "Just be there."_

"_We'll have the band play something slow." They were almost in the ice now. "I'd hate to step on your-"_

_Everything went dark and she found herself kneeling on the ground, back in the blue nothingness. But, who was she?_

_Hermione, Mia, Bruce, Tony, Steve- too many thoughts, too many feelings, too many lives were rattling around in her head._

_She rocked back and forth, covering her face. "I don't know where I am, I don't know where I am," she sobbed, speaking out loud because maybe hearing another voice would help her feel a little less alone.. _

"_I don't know who I am."_

_The sound of footsteps came from behind her but her mind felt too shattered to look. "Kind of late for you to be having an identity crisis now, isn't it? Or maybe it's early. Who the hell knows with the way time works in here?"_

_Jerking back, she blinked away her tears and looked up. "Clint?"_

_Clint smiled at her, kneeling down to her level. "Hey. Wouldn't have expected to see a girl like you in a place like this."_

* * *

"What is he doing?" Steve muttered, watching the live footage of Loki's cell with a frown.

Without any prompting, JARVIS had pulled up the feed for Loki as soon as the group started to argue about going to confront the Asgardian. Fury and Natasha were totally against it, Phil, Bruce, and Thor were unsure if it was a good idea, and Tony and Steve didn't care what anyone else thought. They were in a bit of a standoff now, but it wouldn't be long before the tension broke- one way or another.

Loki had previously been lounging on his cot with an amused look on his face. Now, he was sitting on the edge with his face in hands, fingers tangled in hair.

"He almost looks like he's in pain," Bruce muttered. "Look at how tense he is."

"Who cares?" Tony snapped, leaning on the table holding the scepter.

"My brother is a master of deception," Thor said, as if they weren't already aware of that. "If his pain is so great that it keeps him unable to disguise it, then that is of great concern to me."

"Or, he's pretending to be in pain to get our attention," Natasha stated.

"Again, who cares?"

Mia was still lying on the floor unconscious. Bruce had suggested they leave her there in case she had another seizure and Tony and Steve had reluctantly agreed. Steve had briefly left the room, sure in the belief that Tony, Bruce, and Thor would be enough to protect the scepter and Hermione until he got back. When he'd returned, he'd been holding an armful of pillows and a blanket so that Hermione would be as comfortable as possible.

Tony had felt an unpleasant twisting in his gut as he realized that he hadn't even thought about anything like that. Mia was his sister, yet the Man-out-of-Time knew how to look after her better than he did. Pepper'd always been the one to worry about these sorts of things, all the caring.

Pepper. Mentally groaning, Tony realized that he needed to call Pepper and tell her what had happened. She would kill him if she found out later that Mia was injured and he hadn't contacted her and Mia would take her side- last thing he needed was to give those two more ammunition to use against him.

* * *

"_Normally, I would think you were maybe overreacting just a tad to the situation," Clint told her confidingly as he sat down beside her. "I mean, it's only three minds, right? Except for the fact that you were already having a bit of identity struggle beforehand with trying to figure out if you're still Hermione or if you're Mia now. And then there's the fact that the minds you were syncing up with belong to Bruce, Tony, and Steve- none of which would be described as 'well-adjusted' by any stretch of the definition. So yeah, this seems like a reasonable response. I think we should just all be glad that you didn't get sucked into Natasha's mind. That would be a trauma you'd never come back from."_

_She didn't respond, just continued staring off into the distance. She kept track of time passing by noting very inhale and exhale she made. Even though she was tired now, exhausted to her core and mentally shredded, she couldn't give up._

_She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything was fine. She was fine. Everything-_

_Clint leaned towards her. "It's okay to not be okay." She froze. "It's okay to be sad. It's okay to be angry. It's okay to be scared 'cause you know what? I'm scared too. Right now, my body and the bit of my brain that is just a killer and nothing more is out there planning the best way to take out people I care about. Taking innocent lives and soaking my hands in their blood doing so. And I don't know how to fix that or how to get back in control and I'm scared. I'm scared, and it's okay."_

_She finally turned to look at him again. "How do I know you're actually Clint, and not some sort of apparition that the stone conjured up?"_

"_Don't think you can, really," he answered. "Not till you wake up and manage to set me back to rights. I'm the Clint that the stone repressed, the one who has free will and always does my best to make the right choices. The part of me that's running the show right now won't have any knowledge about this."_

"_Did this happen to you?" she asked, taking a shuddery breath. "Did you see memories like I did?"_

_Clint shook his head. "My deal is a bit different from yours. The stone… it's sentient. I've figured out that much from my time here. Can't tell for sure who's controlling it right now, but I can almost feel how it's fighting back. I think that's why you got pulled in here and not the others- there's something in your memories that's going to change things." Clint said it so finally, like he was absolutely positive._

_The smile she gave in response was bitter. "My memories may be useful, but am I?"_

_He just smiled at her. "Even if you don't know exactly who you are right now, you still know what you stand for. Just gotta build up from there and see who you are once you're done."_

_The light pulsed around them then, and she knew that she was about to go back. "Any last messages before I leave?"_

"_Just two. In order to remove the stone's influence from my mind, you're going to have to do a cognitive reboot. It'll be easiest for Nat to be the one to do it- she'll have no problems with that. This last message isn't from me and I have no idea what it means."_

* * *

"As of this moment, Loki is a prisoner of S.H.I.E.L.D. and will be dealt with how we see fit."

Thor glared at Fury and his hand twitched, almost as if he was considering summoning his hammer. "He is still of Asgard and is my brother; were I to wish to leave, you would be unable to stop me."

"Is that a threat?" Fury asked, hand moving slowly to his side-holster.

"If it was, could you really do anything about it?" Tony asked, not looking away from Mia. The phone call to Pepper hadn't gone well, partially because both Eye-Patch and the Liar had tried to stop him on the grounds that Pepper was a civilian and partially because Pepper had panicked. The fact that she wasn't able to come see Mia for herself had made it worse and Tony had to promise his girlfriend that he wouldn't take his eyes off of Mia until she opened hers in order to calm her down. "If Point Break does decide to go ask his brother some questions, I can pretty much guarantee you that the Capsicle will be right there with him."

Steve stayed silent, giving no indication of his feelings about that statement.

"And it's that sort of attitude that made you unfit for the Avengers Initiative," Natasha reminded him.

"You say that yet, here I am." Tony hummed. "Curious, that. Why call us in now? Why not before? You clearly don't trust us and we definitely don't trust you. You're all about us 'saving the world' but why would you entrust the safety of a planet in the hands of people you don't really believe in?" Before he could go on, start digging his points in deeper, the most beautiful thing in the world happened.

Mia opened her eyes.

"Mia!" Tony sighed in relief as she turned towards him but his happiness quickly faded at the look in her eyes.

She slowly sat up and looked around the room blankly. Glancing down, she pulled her hands free from the blanket covering her and stared at them for a moment.

"Hermione?" Steve said, kneeling down beside her. Fury and Natasha both looked on edge, hands drifting towards their weapons, and even Thor seemed to ready himself.

Tears started falling from her eyes and dropping down on her hands one by one. She didn't even react, just continued to gaze downwards as her body shook with the force of her emotions.

Tony sat next to her, frozen, unsure of how to help. Steve didn't hesitate though, just reached out and pulled the brunette in his arms, hugging her close and rocking back and forth as he rubbed a hand on her back. "It's okay," he told her softly. "You're okay. You're safe. Tony and I are right here. We've got you."

Burying her head in his chest, she allowed herself to cry as the memories that the stone had returned to her slotted into place in her mind.

She cried for her father, who must have been so scared and yet focused only on protecting her.

She cried for her mother, who had been left alone with no idea of what had happened to either of them.

She cried for Bruce, who had spent years thinking that he was a monster when the Hulk was really just the part of him that was scared and angry at the hand fate had dealt him.

She cried for Tony, the sibling she had always desperately wanted and finally got to have, who was trying so hard to outweigh the numerous machines of death he'd brought into the world by flooding it with good ones that would make the man who died saving him proud.

She cried for Steve, who had felt so terrified when he was plummeting into the water but also relieved to not have to try and continue living without Bucky.

She cried for who she used to be- both as Hermione and as Mia- because one had been so sad and scared and the other had been so happy but neither had won in the end.

And finally, she cried for herself because she didn't know who she was any more and she wondered if she ever actually had.

* * *

"_I'm not who you think I am."_

_Mia blinked at her mother, freezing in place and leaving her fork hanging in mid-air. They were both sitting at the dinner table, eating spaghetti after an afternoon of relaxing in the sun and reading together. "It's a bit late to be saying that now. We've only been together for 14 or so years now."_

_Her mother smirked faintly. "I meant that my name isn't Val."_

"_That's your big secret? Something I've known the entire time? You may not have blatantly stated that your name isn't actually Val, but you also weren't trying to hide it. Just like I know that Dad's name isn't Richard." Mia resumed eating, staring at her mother thoughtfully and wondering what had brought this on._

"_Not telling you… it wasn't because I thought you would recognize my name. When I met your father, I told him my name was Val. Val was fun, carefree, happy- all the things my real self wasn't. That's the person I wanted to be with you. I didn't want you to grow up the way I had, especially not when I knew what it was like for you growing up the first time around. Who I am in the real world is very different from who I am here because here, all I am is your mother. It's the same for your father."_

"_Why are you telling me this?" Mia asked, frowning._

"_Your mind is almost fully healed now. Soon, you'll be able to return to the real world; it would be cruel to keep you locked up here any longer."_

"_I have never, not even for one moment, felt like you were trapping me here," Mia protested. "I have always known that you and Dad love me and that everything you've done has been to protect me. When I was younger, I was just so happy to have your attention and that you always focused on spending time with me when you were here. As I grew older, I realized what had happened. I know what you were doing, both of you, and I'm so grateful for that. And I'm so glad that I have you for a mom and Richard for a dad. I wouldn't trade you for anything."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N): Hey guys! Hope you all are having a nice weekend! Since you guys are already familiar with how this goes, let's just do this!**

**Shoutouts to Alyxia, sfjoellen, Adharablack85-2, sisselina, ElizabethV, blu199086, Mather Gaia, fringeperson, SweetVainilla, Hp17, FrumiousBandersnatch10, Greensleeves un the wood, burungmalam, Emma3mikan, KEZZ 1, Lexxxi, Stephanie MRV, Najada, Sora Loves Rain, UNCPanda, Tajinprincess, LyrebirdSong, LeonaMasha, Catzandbookz8, Isa, and Guests for reviewing! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know what you're thinking!**

**This is one of the moments you guys have been waiting for! Within this chapter is the answer to a very important question you've all been wondering about! To those of you who predicted this, gold stars to you all!**

**This chapter was beta read by Hannbells so many warm and fuzzy feelings to her!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Val kneeled in front of Mia. "Something is happening on a planet close-by that I need to go take a look at."_

_It had been weeks since Richard had been seen by either woman, and both were filled with worry. "Something to do with Dad?" Mia asked hopefully._

_Her mother shook her head. "No, I don't think so, but it can't be ignored. I've left something for you though, just in case."_

"_In case of what?" Mia asked, a thrill of fear shooting through her. What did her mother think might happen?_

"_In case we're separated," Val told her calmly. "So that you'll have something to remember me by until I find you again."_

* * *

"We need to know what happened after you touched the spear."

She heard Fury's voice clearly from where she still sat in Steve's lap, but she didn't respond.

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Tony hissed. "She literally just woke up- she's in no shape to answer any of your questions.

_Even if you don't know who exactly you are right now, you still know what you stand for._

What does she stand for?

"Loki could make his next move anytime now," Natasha argued. "We need to know if she knows anything useful."

She could hear the comforting sound of Steve's heart beating beneath her ear. The sound of it reminded her of how fast their heart was beating when they were heading straight for the ice. What she stands for… she believed in doing the right thing even if it hurt at the time. She believed that when you the ability to fight for what was right, then you had the responsibility to do so.

"Hey," came a soft voice and she forced her eyes open, turning to see Bruce kneeling beside her. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, staying silent. If she didn't say anything, then she wouldn't have to answer any questions that she didn't want to.

Bruce didn't seem bothered. "Mind if I do some basic first aid? Just want to check your pulse, temperature, and make sure you don't have a concussion now that you're awake."

Steve's arms tightened around her, but she held her arm out to the scientist without hesitation. As Bruce gently grasped her wrist, she studied his calm expression. Despite the fact that he was so clearly scared of the Hulk, that didn't stop him from trying to help people. He may have been on his own for several years, but he hadn't hidden somewhere away from all civilization. Bruce seemed to be doing his best to help people any way he could, always putting others ahead of himself.

Allowing Bruce to slip a thermometer beneath her tongue, she wondered if she was that self-sacrificing. She didn't know, but she did know that she wished Bruce didn't have to fear being found out for being the Hulk. She believed in understanding and acceptance, of not fearing something just because it's foreign and different but instead accepting things because there's a beauty in the unusual.

"Your pulse and temperature are normal, and you don't have concussion," he announced. "Does anything hurt?"

She shook her head and as Bruce pulled away, Tony quickly took his place. "You sure you're okay?" he murmured, eyes scanning her intently.

Hesitating for a moment, she held her hand out to her brother. He quickly grasped it and she squeezed gently, giving him a reassuring smile.

Seeing him so concerned made her think of Yinsen, of how much his death had hurt Tony. Tony would always remember Yinsen and his sacrifice because, without it, he would never have gotten to this point. Tony would never forget the moments that shaped him, no matter how painful, because the second he let go of those memories was the second he would no longer be Tony Stark, the hero known as Iron Man. If he could do it, then so could she. She may not know who exactly she is now, but she would never forget who she was then. But not forgetting didn't mean that she had to continue being that person. She didn't have to be Hermione again. She didn't have to be Mia. But if she wasn't them, then who was she?

Wetting her lips, she said, "I'm alright, Tony. Promise."

Tony's face lit up. "You spoke to me first. That means I'm your favorite."

She could almost feel Steve rolling his eyes behind her. "Sorry, but Pepper already claimed the title of favorite for herself. If you want it, you'll have to fight her for it."

"Pepper! Shit!" Tony hurriedly pulled his phone from his pocket, hands shaking slightly. "She wanted to know the moment you woke up."

She realized then that she really wanted to hear Pepper's voice. Pepper always knew what to say, knew how to comfort her without making her feel overwhelmed. "Can I talk to her?" she almost whispered, feeling something akin to the idea of embarrassment for the request but not sure why.

"Of course, whatever you want," he babbled, pushing the phone into her hands.

"Not 'whatever you want'," Fury snapped. "We are running short on time here."

Staring at the director, she wavered on what to do. Fury had a point; he did need to know what was going on. She would never be comfortable enough to tell him everything though.

Pepper's number was already pulled up on Tony's phone and her thumb hovered over the call button. Looking back at Fury, she told him, "I saw Clint. He said that the person currently running around in his body is the assassin part of him, the one who follows orders without question and never wonders about whether or not what he's doing is right."

Shifting to look at Natasha, she continued, "He wanted me to let you know that, in order to remove the stone's influence from him, he'll need a cognitive reboot and that it'll be easiest for you to do that. At least, I think he was talking about you- he called you Nat." Even though Natasha's expression never wavered, she could tell that her words had affected her.

"What do you mean-" Fury started but she ignored him.

Looking back down at the phone, she pressed the call button and lifted the cell to her ear.

Fury started to protest, but his words were completely drowned out as Pepper answered the phone after only three rings. "Tony! Is it Mia? Is she awake?" She sounded panicked and her stomach clenched at the knowledge that she had really worried the other woman.

"It's me."

"Mia!" Pepper sighed in relief. "You're okay. I was so worried. You are okay, right?"

"I'm alright," she reassured. "I…" She tried to continue, to convince Pepper just how fine she was, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Mia?"

The words started pouring out of her. "I remember now. I remember everything. How I disappeared, where I went, what happened- I remember it all. And now I don't know what to do or how to act or even who I'm supposed to be."

Steve stiffened against her, but she couldn't bring herself to look up at him.

"You remember," Pepper repeated softly, soothingly. "What exactly do you remember?"

She took a deep breath. "I remember… a second chance. I remember growing a second time, with different parents in a different home and I remember being a different person. I remember," she took a shuddering breath, "I remember being someone else. I was a whole other person and then I forgot. I forgot and now I don't know who I am."

"I don't know who I am, Pepper. And the only advice I've been given to work with is to figure out what I stand for and build up from there but even that's not simple because what I stood for in the beginning wasn't what I stood for in the end and now I don't know what's right or what's wrong." She was nearly in tears again, staring down at her lap. "Before I was someone who could fight for others but could never be bothered to fight for myself. And then I got a second chance. After being tortured, my mind needed to rebuild itself." This was so hard to explain and she was having trouble finding the right words. "It was like someone hit the reset button and I was magically small again, growing up to be someone else. I had two childhoods and became two very different people but even with all that time, I still don't know anything."

There were many ways Pepper could have responded, but the last thing she'd expected was laughter. Pepper was laughing, though she could tell that the other woman was laughing through her tears. "God, you're so serious and mature all the time that it's easy to forget just how young you are," Pepper started. "Mia, it's okay to change. It's okay to not be who you were 14 years ago. From what you've said, you didn't just spend all that time in a coma or even something as ridiculous as jumping through time into the future. You had a life, spent time with different people, and they shaped you into someone different than who you were originally. And that's not a bad thing- that's life. Everyone changes, everyone grows. You are not the Hermione Granger who was on the run in the middle of a war anymore. Even if you decide you want all of us to call you Hermione, though I don't think I can guarantee Tony will agree to do, it wouldn't make you that girl anymore. But you know what? None of us expect you to be her. None of us expect you to be the same person you were when you disappeared because we love you for who you are now, and we'll love you for whoever you become in the future. And anyone who would resent you for not being who you were when you were younger, for not being the person they want and expect you to be, aren't worth knowing and their opinion doesn't matter.

"It's not an either-or situation. You don't need to be either Hermione or Mia. We don't want just one. We want you because you're ours. So, right here, in this moment- and only this moment, not for the rest of your life- who do you want to be?"

She looked over at Tony and he smiled crookedly at her, squeezing her hand. Even if Tony couldn't bring himself to say the words due to his avoidance of all things related to feelings, she knew how much he loved her.

"I… I just want to be Mia Stark, Tony Stark's baby sister who's either lazy or makes up for her lack of brains by being pretty."

Tony snorted in amusement as Pepper laughed. "Then go, be Mia for the next five minutes until Tony annoys you."

Taking a deep breath, Mia smiled. "Thanks, Pepper. I love you."

"I love you, too," Pepper immediately responded, voice slightly choked again. "Now, go be amazing."

"I'll do my best." Mia continued holding the phone to her ear even Pepper had hung up for a few seconds longer before reluctantly handing the device back to Tony.

Taking back his phone and sliding it into his jacket pocket, Tony said, "I know, Pepper's awesome. She's also mine though, so don't get any ideas."

"Please, I could definitely steal her away from you if I wanted to." Mia shifted slightly, preparing to stand up, and then made a small noise of surprise as Steve stood with her still in his arms and carefully set her upright.

Tony hopped to his feet. "You wish."

As Mia found her footing, she caught sight of the camera showing Loki and her brows furrowed. "Why are you all watching Loki sitting in his cell?"

"We were planning on going to speak to him about what happened to you," Bruce answered, finally allowing himself to relax now that Mia was awake and standing. Taking the chance to get some answers for himself, Bruce asked, "What was all that about you disappearing and being tortured?"

"That-" Tony started but Mia cut him off.

"I was born in 1979, not 1990 like the media is saying. Tony had to change my birth certificate because in 1997, I was captured and tortured before disappearing without a trace. When I was finally found, 14 years had passed but I hadn't aged a day. It was just easier to lie at that point than to try and come up with some sort of cover story." None of what she had actually told him was a lie, which was for the best since she knew the truth would be revealed soon enough. At this point, it might have been best to just tell him the truth but…

Thor stepped forward then. Mia hadn't even noticed that he was in the room and she started slightly. "You said that you grew up a second time?"

Mia nodded slowly. "I was unconscious when I first disappeared and when I woke up, I was four-or-so years old again."

"Does that sound like something you're familiar with?" Fury probed, as he watched Thor stare at the small brunette.

"I have heard of such a practice, though it has fallen into shadows in recent years." Thor continued to stare at Mia intently and she forced herself to meet his gaze. "Long ago, my father and his army fought against a race that was capable of using magic. They would capture our soldiers and torture them into insanity before sending the bodies back to Asgard as a taunt. Our healers discovered that there was a way to save those men but at a cost. The dark magic had insinuated itself so deeply into their minds that the only way to remove it was to use magic to turn back the mind to a point that the magic hadn't touched."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" the director demanding, asking the question everyone but Mia were wondering.

"They used magic to essentially turn back time, causing the mind to regress back to a point where the dark magic hadn't corrupted it," Mia explained. "In my case, the earliest point in my mind that hadn't been affected was when I was four so, mentally, I was returned to a toddler. My mind had to rebuild itself, I basically grew up a second time, but my body remained frozen while my mind developed to match my actual age."

"Don't your people age differently than humans?" Bruce asked, having read what little information S.H.I.E.L.D. had managed to collect about Asgardians.

"Aye," Thor rumbled. "And while the mind can be changed with magic, bodies cannot. Those soldiers affected were stuck with the mind of babes in their adult forms."

"Seems whoever took you managed to find a work around," Fury said to Mia. "Want to tell us just who exactly is was that saved you? Because it sounds to me like it's probably an Asgardian."

Mia raised a brow at him. "I thought you said that we were running short on time. Shouldn't we be concentrating on Loki?"

"We are- that's why I'm talking to you right now."

Thor's face lit up. "Captain Rogers said that you believed that Loki was being controlled by another."

Glancing behind her and spotting Steve's sheepish look, Mia rolled her eyes at him before turning back to Thor. "Your brother has some autonomy but for the most part, he does as he instructed to by another. The stone controls his actions as it does to those Loki has used it on and the stone itself is being bent to the will of the true controller of the Chitauri army."

"And who is that?" Natasha asked, arms folded over her chest.

"I didn't see them while I was in the stone," Mia hedged. "But I did sense them. I would need to speak with Loki in order to be sure that what I believe is correct."

"No," Fury immediately told her, voice hard. "That's not gonna happen."

"As much as it pains me to admit, but I have to agree with One-Eyed Willie," Tony chimed in. "You literally just woke up after randomly falling unconscious and taking years off my life."

"It's not your call to make," Mia told him before informing Fury, "If you truly want to know what Loki's going to do next, you have to let me speak with him."

"Until we get the chance to properly look you over, you shouldn't do anything too stressful or strenuous," Bruce told her apologetically.

"If Lady Stark is right and Loki is being controlled by another," Thor loudly argued, "then I see no reason why she should not be allowed to speak with him herself. Especially if, as you say, it is possible they have met one another before and Lady Stark is just unable to remember it."

"She's not a part of this," Tony was quick to shoot back. "Mia is not an in any way, shape, or form involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. and is not going anywhere near your wannabe Man-in-Black brother!"

Natasha stepped forward. "Technically, Mia has been involved with S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since they took her into custody after her reappearance. You'd think you'd remember that, Stark, being the one who was quick to dump her on us."

"I was not quick," argued Tony, turning to look at Mia. "I wasn't quick to dump you, just unable to take on the challenge of helping you at the time."

Mia didn't respond to him, to any of them, just continued to stare at the video feed from Loki's cell. Steve studied her for a moment before abruptly saying, "Let her talk to him."

Tony spun around, giving him a betrayed look. "Are you serious right now?!"

Steve met his gaze evenly. "If she says she can do this, then we should believe her. She has magic so she can fight him if need be, and he can't control her without the staff. I'm not saying we should let her go in there alone, but I trust her to know just what she's capable of." He was being very careful not to say Hermione's name now, though he had slipped up earlier, because he knew she still wanted the others to know her as Mia.

"Fine!" Tony threw his hands in the air. "Let's all go down then and have a tea party with a psychopath!"

"Not all," Mia quickly vetoed. "If all of us go down there, it'll seem as though we're scared of him."

"She's right," Natasha agreed. "I'll go with her."

"So will I," Steve said, resting a hand on the small of Mia's back. "The rest of you can watch from up here."

Mia hesitated. "I think it would actually be better if Phil came instead. He's unknown."

Steve frowned but Fury cut in before he could argue. "Go. And you better find out something fucking useful."

* * *

Natasha keyed in the code and then stepped back as the door slid open, allowing Mia to walk in ahead of her. Despite the calm expression on Natasha's face, Mia could sense how little she trusted Mia. She couldn't really blame her though. Stepping into the room, she hesitated at the sight of Loki sitting on his cot, head bowed. He might have looked like he was simply dozing if it wasn't for the tension in his shoulders.

Gathering her courage, Mia strode into the room, stopping a few feet away from the glass wall separating her from Loki and asked, "So, how exactly does it work?"

He didn't answer her, didn't even look up, just sat and stared at his hands.

Mia wasn't deterred. "I know what's really going on- I know that someone else is involved in your plans. They gave you that scepter with the stone in order to control you the way you've been controlling others. So, tell me, how does it work? Are they able to just view your thoughts and memories? Are they actually inside your head right now, another person crammed in there experiencing everything beside you?"

Loki took a deep breath but said nothing.

She sighed. "I remember," Mia told him softly. "I remember everything. Richard, meaning 'dominant ruler'," she recited, sitting down in the walkway leading to the cell. "Fitting." Mia thought she saw his lips quirk slightly and she finally allowed herself to relax. "Hi, Dad," she greeted softly. "It's been awhile."

Back in the lab, the men were grouped around the monitor in varying degrees of shock. "Dad?" Tony finally choked out.

"Hello, Mia," Loki finally spoke, still looking away from her.

Mia waited for a moment, giving him a chance to say more and feeling disappointed when he didn't. "Really? After everything that happened- erasing my memories, dropping me in a strange place alone with no idea of what was going on, disappearing for months and then reappearing with an alien army in tow- all that, and all you have to say is 'hello'?"

Loki's hands clenched into fists in his lap.

Staring up at the ceiling, Mia swallowed down a lump in her throat. "It happened when I touched your scepter. The stone pulled me in and then gave me back all my memories. Do you have any idea what it was like, realizing that you had stolen away my memories of you and Mom for seemingly no reason? And before you ask, yes, I am aware of the hypocrisy of what I'm saying."

Turning to look at her father, she whispered, "I was so angry with you. And I was hurt, because it felt like you were punishing me for something. As though I had done something wrong and that's why you left me and took everything that mattered with you." Loki visibly flinched. "Then, I realized the truth. Everything you did was done to protect me. Everything that happened was done for a reason."

Her voice grew stronger the more she spoke. "You are still the man who raised me. Who helped me get past my fear of heights. Who told me stories about fantastical places when I had nightmares and stayed with me till I fell back asleep. Who risked everything to save me without an ounce of hesitation. I know who you are, and I know that you would never, ever do anything to hurt me. You love me, just as I love you."

Posture relaxing, Mia began to explain her thought process. "One of the things you stressed most in my training was the need to think critically and work out why someone makes a certain choice. 'Knowing why your opponent choses a course of action can be used to your advantage in future battles.' That's what you said. So, why would you lock away my memories?

"Because it wasn't safe for me to remember. If I had woken up here, remembering you, I would have done everything I could to find you and that would have drawn attention to myself. None of this was an accident.

"I could feel when your spell to protect me started to break down. You couldn't maintain it anymore because you needed all your energy to protect yourself as best you could. If your spell had just failed though, the magic dissipating without permission, it would have returned me to where you had initially taken me. You released the spell on purpose so you could control where I went. You've been to Earth before many times, you made a contingency in case something like this would happen. You made sure I would appear in front of Stark Tower at the exact moment that Tony Stark was walking up to the door and when there was no one around to spot me. You knew that he would look after me, either personally or by making sure I was taken to Fury."

Eyes still closed, Loki smirked slightly. "How odd it is to hear myself described as some kind of hero. One must assume that you have not yet spoken with Thor."

Snorting, Mia told him, "Oh no, I have been blessed to stand in the presence of the mighty God of Thunder," she sneered, and it was obvious to everyone watching in that moment how alike the two were. "I didn't find it to be quite the overwhelming experience that others have had."

"The legendary figure was unable to meet your expectations?"

"I grew up with you and Mom," Mia reminded him. "Who could ever hope to be greater than the both of you?"

Loki sighed. "You will. One day, sooner than your mother and I would ever wish, you will prove to be the greatest creature in the galaxy."

Mia's face clearly expressed how little stock she held in that idea, but she didn't argue. "Not today though."

"Not today," Loki agreed.

* * *

"Did you have any idea?" Fury demanded, rounding on Tony and Steve.

Neither man looked at him, attention entirely focused on the screen in front of them.

"I don't understand," Bruce muttered.

"She's adopted," Tony told him shortly. "Unlike with Point Break here though, that doesn't change the fact that she's my baby sister. Doesn't matter who her parents might be, she's still Mia Stark."

Thor didn't even to notice the slight. "A daughter," he breathed, staring at the image of his brother and Lady Stark speaking. "I have a niece."

"No, you don't," spat Tony, finally looking away from his sister to face the blond Asgardian. "When it comes to my sister, you have jack shit."

"She is Asgardian," Thor argued. "She belongs with her own people."

"We are her people," Steve stated firmly. "We're her family."

"Who's her mother?" Fury interrupted, tone harsh. "Your brother have a girlfriend stashed away somewhere we should know about?"

Shaking his head, Thor admitted, "My brother keeps his own confidences when it comes to most of his dealings with others- especially with things that are important to him."

Tony looked at him, one brow raised. "Aren't siblings the ones you're supposed to share the important things with?"

* * *

"Why Richard?" Mia asked. Her father still kept his face averted from her, but she no longer felt hurt by it. She could see how guarded he was, and it reminded her a bit of how Professor Snape would look at times.

He was shielding his mind right now, presumably working to still keep her existence hidden from his 'Master', who was seemingly still actively present in his mind. It took a great amount of discipline in order to use occlumency to hide thoughts without obviously appearing to be hiding something. What Loki was doing was on a level more complex than anything Mia had ever seen before. If she was right, her father was hiding this conversation as it was happening, constantly occluding while still communicating with her. She had never even heard of such a thing being done before.

"A fitting name was it not?" he smirked.

"I already said it was," she reminded him with a small smile. "I meant, why would you need to use a false name in the first place? Mom already explained her name- that it was the name she gave you when you first met. You gave me the name Richard saying that you were staying in the same vein that she was- meaning that you gave her the name Richard when you met her. Why not give her your real name?"

Loki seemed to deliberate for a moment before answering. "When the Allfather realized I was capable of shielding myself from Heimdall's gaze, he had Heimdall search for any mentions of my name. Were my name to be said multiple times, there was a high chance that I would be found there."

Mia bit her lip, trying to swallow down her laughter. "There's an urban legend here on Earth that, should you say a demon's name three times, the demon will appear before you."

"How appropriate." Despite his calm demeanor, Mia knew that her father disliked the comparison.

"Not really. Demons, and Angels for that matter, are creatures controlled by the whims of others. Rarely are they seen to be free-thinking because they are made to be followers. You are always thinking and planning, working out every advantage and disadvantage in a situation and finding a way to reach the most appealing outcome you can find. And, when things go wrong, you adapt and move on. Just like you're doing now."

"You speak as though you believe the Chitauri attacking Midgard to be for the best," Loki slowly said, brow furrowed.

Mia leaned her head back against the metal railing behind her. "I know what the other option was, what would have happened if you weren't here. I know who's lying in wait on the other side of space."

* * *

Tony pulled his phone out of his pocket, peeking at the screen. Steve frowned, wondering what was important enough to pull his attention away from watching Hermione speak with Loki. Glancing over at the phone, Steve saw that the screen was covered in code except for the bottom righthand corner which read: _Decryption 78% Complete._

Sensing Steve's hard glare on the side of his face, Tony swiped away the screen of coding and pulled up a messenger app. Looking back up at the screen with Mia, Tony subtly typed out a message.

_JARVIS decrypting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s files. Phase one of plan for Tesseract is harnessing its energy. What's phase two?_

The bit of Steve that was and always would be a soldier wanted to brush Tony off because it wasn't their business. But then he thought about what Loki had said to Fury before and how he wasn't sure they could just brush that off as the ravings of a psychopath. From the sound of his and Hermione's conversation, Loki's actions weren't what they appeared to be and his main goal seemed to be keeping Hermione safe and hidden.

If they wanted to find out the truth of what was going on, they couldn't just stand around and wait for Fury to feel like being honest with them.

Waiting for Tony to meet his gaze, Steve gave him a small nod before turning away from the group and headed for the door. "And just where do you think you're going?" Fury demanded.

"I don't need to see this," Steve told him shortly without looking back. "I'm going to go wait outside for this to be over." And then he walked out the doors and headed down the hallway.

* * *

"You are not to involve yourself in this," Loki warned Mia.

She was on her feet again. "Everything you've done was to keep me safe. For 14 years, you did everything in your power to make sure that I was safe, that I could live my life without fear. Even now, you're trying to shield me from danger. You're my father and you love me and you wanted to make sure I survive, even at the cost of yourself. But I love you too, and I'm not just going to stand by and watch as you hurt yourself!"

"This is not your fight!" he hissed.

"Yes, it is! Your fight is my fight!"

"We taught you how to fight so that you could protect yourself when your mother and I could not," Loki reminded her. "That day has not yet come."

"Then where is she?!" Mia demanded, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill over. "Where is Mom? Because I'm going to be honest, I'm not feeling very protected. I feel scared and a little alone because I don't know what happened to her or where she is and it hurts. It hurts to not be able to hear her voice, to talk to her about everything that's been happening. It hurts to know that when I leave this room, you're going to lock this conversation away and everything that makes you my father because it's a weakness. And it hurts to know what's coming and what my… what Tony, Bruce, and Steve are going to be facing and knowing that you expect me to stand by and do nothing."

Loki's jaw clenched. "You gave your word. You are the last resort, not the first line of defense."

"And you said that I would know when it was time for me to fight and when it was time for me to stand down," she shot back. "Whether or not I fight is my choice, not yours."

"If you do that," he warned, "you will be the one responsible for the lives that will be destroyed afterwards. You are so desperate to be the hero that you have forgotten to ask yourself the most important of questions: if you do this, what will be the cost?"

* * *

Steve shoved aside the metal door as quietly as possible, brow furrowed with the effort of pushing the steel open enough that he could slip by. Creeping quickly into the large room filled with crates, he listened intently for any signs that he wasn't alone.

The sound of voices echoed down to him and he moved over to the metal boxes on the right side of aisle, jumping up onto one and then leaping lightly onto the walkway above. Striding forwards, he carefully studied the boxes around him. To be honest, he wasn't actually sure what he was searching for. Steve just knew that, if Fury really was hiding something that he wanted to be sure none of them would accidentally stumble into, this would be the place to do it.

And it didn't take long for him to find exactly what he had been hoping not to. There, in numerous cases tucked away in the back corner of the storage room, was a collection of HYDRA gear and weapons that had been made to harness the power of the Tesseract.

* * *

"I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton," Natasha demanded, stepping up behind Mia. Father and daughter turned to look at the redhead in surprise- they'd honestly forgotten about the other people in the room by that point.

Loki made sure his face was turned away from Mia before he opened his eyes for the first time since she'd come to see him. Making sure his gaze was focused only on Agent Romanoff, he said, "I'd say I've expanded his mind."

Natasha took another step forward. "And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?"

"Is this love, Agent Romanoff?" he sneered.

"Love is for children," Natasha scoffed. "I owe him a debt."

"Oh yes," Loki smirked. "I know all about your debt to him- your current attempts to 'wipe the red from your ledger', as Barton put it. He told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything?"

He scoffed. "This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child, a prayer. Pathetic. You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away."

Even though she knew Natasha had purposefully worked to press Loki's buttons, trying to get the Asgardian to reveal information to them unwittingly, Mia wished she could have shielded her from this. The vitriol her father spilled was made all the more painful because it was true. What Natasha couldn't know though, was that rant was directed as much at himself as it was at the agent. He had done things he hadn't wanted to: first to try and prove himself to an absent father and an oblivious brother, both of whom would never see him the way he wanted them to, and then in the name of protecting her. Her mother had a similar mentality- that it was acceptable to dye themselves in blood as long as they could protect the purity within her that they themselves had lost long ago.

"That's enough," Mia said, her voice soft but steely. "They already don't think very highly of you here- no need to forever label yourself as a monster."

Loki closed his eyes again but didn't turn Mia's way. "Being a monster must not be such a terrible thing here, considering they brought their own."

"It's time," came Phil's soft announcement from behind them. Mia looked over her shoulder at the agent. If any of what he'd heard had shocked him, he wasn't showing it.

Turning back to her father, she told him, "I will find a way to stop this."

Turning away from her, Loki softly said, "It is already done."

Shaking her head wildly, Mia whispered, "I can't let you do this."

"And I won't let you die."

* * *

"_Why me?" Mia finally worked up the courage to ask. "Why am I so important?"_

_Val glanced over at her. "There's more than one reason."_

_Sighing in frustration, Mia told her, "You can't keep dodging my questions forever- you already stated that soon I would be going back to the real world. How will I protect myself if I don't know who may be coming after me and why?"_

_Folding her arms over her chest, Val studied her daughter closely. "His name is Thanos," she finally answered. "For years he has been keeping to the shadows, going to different planets around the galaxy and destroying them for reasons still unclear to us."_

"_Is that why you gave me up?" Mia asked softly, staring down at her hands._

"_No." Val's voice was firm and she moved across the room to stand in front of her daughter. "We- I- wanted you so much. But like I said before, I wasn't ready to be a parent and your father couldn't safely care for you. We gave you to a family who we knew would love and protect you with everything they had and I've regretted it ever since. I will always be grateful to have been given a second chance with you, but I'll also forever regret needing it in the first place."_

_Mia's shoulder's relaxed and she peeked up at her mother. "When did you find out about Thanos? I feel as though he's someone you've been fearing almost my entire life."_

"_I don't fear him," the blond instantly corrected. "And that's part of the problem. He considers me a threat because his army, the Chitauri, and his… generals, for lack of a better word, are no match for me. And they'll be no match for you either."_

"_If I'm stronger than them, then why do I need to stay in hiding?"_

_For the first time ever, Val looked tired. "Just because you have your father's magic and my powers doesn't mean that you're invincible; we don't know yet what the limits to your powers are._

"_You're our daughter. What would we do if we lost you?"_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N): Hello! Hope you guys are all staying cool this weekend! Unless it's winter where you are, in which case I hope you are staying warm. Basically, I hope we're all doing our best stay in environments where the temperature is comfortable.**

**Shoutouts to Wildcatatheart, FanficFanatics26, tifo, vamp1987, Cupcake46813, KateKat1992, blu199086, Nanyin, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, AlexisDumbee, Elizabeth, ABrighterDarkness, Hp17, fringeperson, lilphipp, Adharablack85-2, noise95, Spinalittleglow, KEZZ 1, Choirchick16, Stephanie MRV, Cassie-011, Lexxxi, sisselina, UNCPanda, SimiDemon1994, BratGirl1983, Tajinprincess, Catzandbookz8, Sora Loves Rain, Emma3mikan, , Alyxia, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are angels!**

**So... big reveal last chapter, huh? I enjoy how excited most of you were but also several of you seem very hesitant about this new development. Your shock means I did good writing-wise with this but I hope those of you who were left feeling unsure about all this stick around. **

**This chapter was beta-read by the lovely Hannbells so warm and fuzzy feels to her!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_His army is called the Chitauri," Val told her, after Mia requested that her mother tell her more about Thanos and his forces. "They're a cybernetically enhanced species that operate under a hive mind intelligence- they're controlled by a Mother Ship. They're enhanced at an early age so that they can become as strong as possible in a short amount of time."_

"_And he uses these soldiers, these Chitauri, to attack other planets?" Mia asked, frowning down at the table._

_Val nodded. "They go in, wipe the population, and then leave. Your father and I, along with a few other planets and intergalactic alliances, have tried to figure out why he chooses a planet, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it. And no matter how hard we try, we can't figure out where he's going next."_

"_If there's no pattern, then there also isn't way for you to be able to figure out where he's hiding," she mused. "He could be anywhere in the universe." Mia looked up at her mother then. "Why me? What makes me so special?"_

* * *

Mia and Natasha headed back to the lab. They arrived to the sight of Bruce, Tony, and Steve facing off against Fury as Thor stood to the side in confusion.

"I was wrong, Director," Steve was saying as they walked in. "The world hasn't changed a bit."

"What's going on?" Mia asked, and then immediately shied away as everyone in the room turned to look at her. While normally she would have only felt mild discomfort at being the center of attention, Mia worried about what the reaction had been when they'd found out about Loki. She wasn't ashamed to call him her father, but she didn't want to lose Tony and Steve. It would break her heart if they turned away from her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mia saw Thor step towards her but then she suddenly found herself being pulled away to the other side of the lab and positioned firmly beside Steve. Looking up, Mia saw that it was Tony who had grabbed her.

"Stay away from my sister," Tony warned, glaring darkly at Thor.

They were okay- they were fine. Mia's shoulders fell in relief and she leaned slightly against Tony. "What's going on?" she asked again.

"Fury was using the Tesseract to develop weapons and trying to lie about it," Steve answered her, and Mia turned to see him glaring at the Director. "Develop HYDRA weapons, to be exact."

"Did you know about this?" Bruce demanded, glaring at Natasha.

"You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" Natasha asked Bruce evenly.

He laughed harshly. "I was in Calcutta; I was pretty well removed."

"Loki is manipulating you," she told him softly.

"And you've doing what exactly?" he shot back.

Natasha gave him a look. "You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you."

"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Because of him," Fury finally said, pointing at Thor.

"Me?" Thor repeated, surprised.

"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, out-gunned."

"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor protested.

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" countered Fury. "And you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies," Thor responded, furious. "It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."

"A higher form?" Steve repeated, alarmed.

"You forced our hand!" snapped Fury. "We had to come up with some-"

"Nuclear deterrent?" Tony interjected. "Yeah, 'cause that always calms everything right down."

"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?" Fury asked coldly.

"But this isn't the first time Earth's had a visitor from another world," Mia protested, interrupting Steve as he went to speak. "This isn't even the first time a hostile force came to this planet- you know that better than anyone. You've known for years that humans aren't the only beings out there and have had a long time to think about the implications of that. Don't act like you just came to this revelation last year when Thor came to Earth."

Fury drew back slightly. "And just how the hell do you know that?"

"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor announced, sounding almost condescending.

Several small fights began breaking out at once then.

"Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury demanded of Thor.

"You treat your champions with such mistrust?" Thor questioned.

"You're not my champion," the other man stated frankly.

"Are you boys really that naïve?" Natasha was asking. "S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors potential threats."

"You furious?" Tony asked Mia and Steve. "I'm furious."

"And Captain America is on the threat poll?" Banner snapped at Natasha.

"We all are!" she shot back at the same time that Fury interjected, "That's not your concern, Doctor."

A glaring light hit the corner of Mia's eye and she felt a wave of rage flow over her. It wasn't right though- it wasn't coming from her.

"STOP!" she shouted, stopping every other argument in an instant.

Immediately dropping down to crouch on the floor, Mia summoned the blanket still crumpled on the bench from earlier and tossed it to Steve. "Cover the scepter with that," she demanded. "Now!"

Steve turned without question and did as he was told.

"What's going on?" Tony asked his sister.

"Our arguing caught the attention of the being attempting to control the stone and he decided to have some fun," she spat, standing back up once Steve was done and went to work covering the table in several simple wards, stopping the stone from being able to see or hear anything happening in the room while resting on the table. "Our emotions were being heightened."

"Why did you hide yourself?" Thor asked as he and everyone else felt their emotions settle.

"Because I'm not sure that he can't see through the stone. If that is within his power, then I can't let him see me," Mia answered absently, concentration totally focused on the task in front of her.

"Who?" Steve asked. "Who's actually behind this?"

Mia froze for just a second before quickly deflecting. "What good would giving a name do you? You wouldn't recognize it."

"He might," Natasha stated, nodding at Thor.

"You think so?" she drawled. "Because I imagine that if Thor had known the name of the person who actually controlled the Chitauri army, he would have mentioned it when he spoke of them destroying other worlds before."

"You're avoiding the question," Fury finally snapped. "You know things you have no business knowing and then refuse to explain just where you got that information from. You have a connection with the alien that is declaring war with Earth and didn't tell anyone sooner. And no one has any idea who your mother is- don't suppose you want to clue any of us in on that piece of information, huh?"

It hit Mia again then, just how much she wished her mother was there with her. She missed the quick grins she would give her and Loki when she was giving a spirited remark, missed how her generally calm demeanor balanced Loki's quicksilver moods, and missed the way she ran her hand through Mia's hair when she would walk by and give a soft, relaxed smile.

Her chest ached. Mia was tired and scared and the thing she wanted more than anything in the world was her mom.

She just wanted to go home.

That wasn't an option for her, though, not yet at least.

Closing her eyes for a moment, Mia took a deep breath and then let it out. "Perhaps it would be best to put this conversation on hold. We need to focus on the next part of Loki's plan."

"Which is?" Bruce asked.

Staring upwards, Mia replayed the entire conversation with her father in her mind. "They'll be attacking the ship next- this is the command hub and also where their leader is. They needed to find the ship, hence why Loki allowed himself to be captured in the first place. But nothing they need to complete their device is actually on the ship. So, what is their actual goal here?"

Natasha had already figured it out. "They want to unleash the Hulk." The group turned to look at her and she rolled her eyes. "He called Banner a mindless beast before and then later said that he wasn't the monster here- implying that he wasn't the greatest threat. It's also a sound tactic for causing as much destruction as possible with minimal risk to their own people- send in a few to release Loki and provoke Banner into becoming Hulk before leaving us to take the most hits."

Steve agreed. "Can you get Banner out of here using magic?" he asked Hermione.

She gave him an almost disapproving look. "I can. However, I think we should leave the decision of what to do next up to Bruce." Turning to the scientist, she asked, "Would you prefer to stay, or would you feel more comfortable moving to another location?"

Bruce stared at her in surprise. She was asking him what he wanted to do? In the back of his mind, the place that the Hulk resided in, Bruce could sense his alter ego's confusion as well. "I…" he hesitated. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"The Hulk only lash out when he feels threatened, Bruce," Mia told him gently. "He's a part of you and you would never purposefully set out to hurt innocent people, would you?"

"You keep saying that, but you're wrong," Bruce told her. "He's not me."

"He is," she quietly disagreed, reaching out to place a hand on his arm. "He's the bit of you that's angry at every bad hand that fate has dealt you, that rages against all the wrongs that can't be righted. You always try to use your words to try and fix a situation but he's the bit of you that knows that, sometimes, using force is the only way stop something worse. It's not a pretty truth but that doesn't change the fact that it's there."

The monitor across the room made a beeping noise then and everyone looked over. "Sorry, guess we'll have to disagree," Bruce told Mia as he walked over to the other side of the room.

"Have you located the Tesseract?" Thor asked Bruce eagerly.

"I'll go," Tony offered, already prepared to put on his suit. "I can get there faster."

"Look," Steve began. "All of us-"

"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard," Thor interrupted. "No human is a match for it."

"Your people were the ones who left the thing on Earth in the first place," Tony shot back. "Clearly you aren't responsible enough to look after it."

An explosion rocked through the ship then and a wave of fire came shooting out of the vent in the center of the room, sending everyone in the flying in different directions. Steve reflexively grabbed Hermione and pulled her into his chest, doing his best to curl around her and protect her from any flying debris. He landed with a thud at the entryway into the room, Tony on the ground next to him.

Everything seemed to be frozen for a moment before Hermione was pulling away from Steve and climbing to her feet. "Are you alright?" she asked him and Tony, staring between the two as they each got to their feet.

"We're fine," Steve reassured her before turning to Tony. "Go put on your suit," he ordered.

"Yep," Tony agreed, racing from the room.

Steve moved to follow him but paused, glancing back at Hermione with a torn expression.

"Go," she told him, already turning towards the shattered windows that Bruce and Natasha had fallen out of. "I'll check on the others."

"Be careful," he requested as he turned to run after Tony.

If it wasn't for his superior hearing, Steve would have missed the choked laugh Hermione gave before she murmured, "No need to worry- I'm basically impossible to kill now."

* * *

Leaping out the window, Mia landed neatly between Bruce and Natasha.

"We're okay," Natasha was saying into her earpiece.

Mia knelt down next to a shuddering Bruce. "Are you alright?" she asked softly, not making a move to touch him. His only reply was a groan of agony.

"Doctor?" came Natasha's voice from behind her and Mia turned to check on her, noticing that the agent's leg was pinned down. "Bruce, you gotta fight it. This is just what Loki wants." Bruce started to push himself upright and Natasha spoke faster. "We're gonna be okay, listen to me."

The sound of running feet coming towards them distracted Natasha and Mia moved so that she was crouching down directly in front of Bruce. "What do you need?" she asked softly.

Bruce finally looked up at her and his skin was tinged green. "What do I need?" he repeated, voice a low growl.

"Yes. If you would prefer to be outside, to be on the ground and free, then I can take you there. But, Hulk," Mia saw a flash of surprise in his eyes as she spoke directly to the being slowly taking control, "I promise you that, should you chose to stay on this ship, I will not let anyone even attempt to capture or hurt you. I promise."

Unable to respond, Bruce threw his head back and gave a low roar as his entire body began turning green and expanding in size. His shirt ripped at the seams and he threw himself sideways, further away from Natasha and Mia. Mia stood up, watching the transformation calmly.

Natasha was shaking in fear, terrified of having to face the legendary Hulk. "Bruce," she whispered, her voice pleading with him.

He turned to look at them, pained at the fear on the redhead's face, but then he focused on the calm, soothing expression on the brunette's. "It's alright," Mia told him. "Everything is going to fine. I promise." And as the lights began to flicker and the Other Guy took the reins, Bruce prayed that she was right.

Mia watched as the Hulk staggered to his feet just as Natasha turned to run. The Hulk really was massive, and Mia wondered if part of the reason the Hulk was always so angry when he was let out was in response to the agony he had to suffer through just to rise to the surface. When he turned his head to face her, she stayed still and studied him just as intently as he was analyzing her. The being still resembled Bruce- the same eyes, same hair, same general structure. Hulk was still Bruce, even if the scientist couldn't bring himself to believe that.

The Hulk seemed confused by her fearlessness and Mia smiled up at him. He may have been much larger than her, but was nowhere near the size of Grawp, Hagrid's Giant brother and Hermione had refused to let her fear get the better of her then. She wasn't about to start shying away from a situation now, especially since she was much more durable than before. "Hello," she greeted. "My name is Mia."

He roared in response, testing just how brave Mia actually was. When she continued to just stand there, Hulk took a few lumbering steps towards her. Once he was looming right in front of her, he bent down and roared again in her face.

"Interesting," Mia murmured, unphased. "Bruce must have been chewing gum earlier since your breath is very minty. Though, I would have thought that the change would cause such upset with your internal organs that it might have caused some acid build-up which would have given you bad breath."

Rearing back slightly, Hulk said, "Huh?" He had expected her to run away like the others so that he could chase them and smash.

Mia blinked. "Sorry, I was talking to myself. Very rude, I know."

Huffing, the Hulk said, "Tiny girl strange."

Tilting her head to the side, Mia smiled up at him. "Yes, I have been told that before. Are you alright? You're not injured, are you?"

"Hulk fine," he grunted.

"Good," she stated. "Have you decided what you want?" The Hulk just blinked at her and Mia elaborated, "Do you want to stay here, or would you like me to try and find a way to get you back on the ground?"

Deliberating for a moment, Hulk finally grunted, "Outside."

"You want to go outside on the carrier? Where the runway is for planes?" Mia clarified. When the Hulk grunted in agreement, she said, "I can do that. Would you like to walk there, or I could use magic to take you there immediately?" She hoped he'd agree to use magic, otherwise they would be making quite the mess on their way out.

"Magic," the Hulk decided, eyes filled with interest.

"Alright. I will warn you though, travelling magically can be a bit uncomfortable and disorientating. It feels sort of like being shoved into a tube."

Mia held out her hand, waiting for the Hulk to grab hold. He stared at it in befuddlement before slowly reaching out his hand, placing one giant finger on her tiny palm. Holding on tightly, Mia and the Hulk disappeared with a loud crack.

When they reappeared on the deck of the ship, the Hulk roared loudly in response to the uncomfortable pressure he had just experienced- it felt too similar to how it did when Banner locked him away.

Unperturbed, Mia reminded him, "I did warn you. Now," she stepped away, "I need to go see what's going on inside. Will you be alright out here?"

Hulk nodded. "Hulk smash!"

"Try and only smash the enemies, alright?" With that, Mia turned on her heel and disappeared again.

* * *

Phil jumped as Mia appeared next to him as he was exiting the armory. "The Hulk is on the deck," she announced, just as the ship tilted sideways. Both Phil and Mia fell over, rolling into the other side of the hall.

"What was that?" she shouted over the alarms that had begun blaring.

"Not sure," Phil told her, arms wrapped protectively around a large black weapon. "I think another engine went out."

"Well, that's not good," Mia muttered, pushing herself to her feet. "Where are you heading?"

Also climbing to his feet, now that the ship was a bit more stabilized, he answered, "Back to the detention level to stop Loki. You should go back up to the bridge and help there."

Mia sighed. "You know how the man murdering people isn't your Clint? Well, the man leading an alien invasion isn't my father right now. I know the difference and I will do my absolute best to help you stop him."

Giving a long, searching look, Phil finally nodded and turned to race down the hall. "We need to hurry then."

Minutes later, they arrived at Loki's cell. The steel door that separated the room from the rest of the ship was wide open and Phil and Mia slowed, taking a moment to peek in and see what was happening.

"Are you ever not going to fall for that?" they heard Loki ask Thor, who had taken Loki's place within the glass cage.

Thor smashed his hammer against the glass but froze as the cage began to shake and the bolts holding it in place loosened.

"The humans think us immortal. Shall we test that?" Loki asked as we moved to the control panel.

Before he could press the red button that would send Thor plummeting, Phil stepped into the room and pointed his weapon at Loki. "Move away, please," he ordered calmly.

Disillusioning herself, Mia stepping in after him, keeping to the shadows.

"Do you like this?" Phil asked as Loki stepped away from the panel. "We started working on the prototype after you sent the Destroyer. Even I don't know what it does. Do you wanna find out?"

Staring at Loki, who was watching Phil warily, Mia abruptly realized that that wasn't the real Loki- it was a copy. Throwing herself behind Phil just as Loki reappeared behind the agent, Mia watched as the scepter that had previously been locked away in the lab was thrust towards her chest.

Instead of piercing through her, the spear seemed to bounce off of her and the force of the rebound sent Loki stumbling back. Phil spun around, having watched the copy of Loki disappear before his eyes. Taking in the surprised expression on Loki's face as he stared down at the scepter, Phil realized that Mia must have protected him and he took two large steps back towards the control panel.

Loki's head snapped up. "Interesting," he murmured, studying Phil.

The agent realized that Loki must have thought that he had somehow stopped the attack. _When I leave this room, you're going to lock this conversation away and everything that makes you my father because it's a weakness._ That's what Mia had said when she spoke with Loki. Phil hadn't realized just how truthful that statement was until now; it would seem that Loki didn't even remember his daughter's existence.

Disappearing again, Loki reappeared at the control panel and hit the red button, open the chute and sending the glass cell plummeting to the ground. Phil turned again and fired his weapon, sending Loki sailing through a wall and out into the corridor. One of the hostiles who had originally come down to release Loki turned and shot Phil in the chest. Phil fell backwards just as the shooters neck abruptly twisted to an unnatural angle with a sickening snap.

"Phil!" Mia reappeared next to him. "I'm so sorry! I was attempting to loosen the top of the cage so Thor could break loose- which is very difficult when it's plummeting downwards- and didn't see that man go for his gun," she babbled as she set a glowing hand on his chest. "It's alright though, you're going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine."

Phil groaned as he felt the bullet being removed from his body. "You need to go after Loki."

"No," she told him. "I'm not leaving you here."

"We can't just let him go," Phil protested.

"I'm almost done." Mia focused all her magic on healing the damage done by the bullet. Intent was key here. She may not have known Phil all that well but he mattered to Clint and to Tony and Pepper so she wasn't going anywhere until she was sure he was fine.

Once the pain had lessened, Phil knocked her hand away. "I'll be fine. Go find Loki," he ordered.

Mia hesitated for a moment before nodding and standing up, racing out of the room and down the hall. The chaos from before had started to ebb as the ship was slowly put to rights and agents returned to their stations. Even though it would be quicker to apparate there, she wasn't comfortable using her magic now that there was a higher chance someone would notice.

She ran directly into Fury as she started to climb the stairs to the next level. "Where's Loki?" Mia asked him.

"Gone. Where's Coulson?"

"In the detention room. He was shot, but I removed the bullet and healed the wound- he'll be fine." Mia hesitated for a moment before adding, "Thor is gone. Loki trapped him in the cell and then released it before his escape.

Fury sighed in frustration. "Banner is also gone. He fell when the engine went out and the ship tilted.

Her stomach dropped. She had been the one to leave the Hulk on the deck- she had left him alone. "He was still transformed, right?" Mia remembered how the Hulk had been fine when he had fallen from the helicopter.

"He was when he first fell but there's no guarantee he stayed that way," Fury answered grimly. "He managed to slow his descent some, but he was still pretty high up."

Mia ran her hands over her face. "Steve and Tony?"

"Heading to the bridge now."

Without another word, Mia pushed past Fury and the other agents now coming down the stairs and headed up to the bridge. When she got to the room, Tony and Steve were already slumped over at the table they'd sat at previously while watching Fury with Loki. To Mia, that felt like a lifetime ago. A time when she'd just been Mia Stark/Hermione Granger. The sister and the soldier.

Tony lifted up his head and smiled slightly. "Hey."

Walking over to her brother, Mia ran her hand through his hair. "Are you alright?"

Shrugging, he told her, "Got a little beat up, but nothing I couldn't handle. Managed to get the engine working again and save this guy's ass." He nodded over at Steve, who was staring intently at her.

"You okay?" he asked Hermione.

"I'm fine," she told him, but Steve could tell that was a lie.

Slipping into a chair between the two men, Mia rested her head on top of the table and they waited in silence.

When Fury finally entered the room, he walked over to them and rested his hands on the back of a chair. "We're dead in the air up here," he told them bluntly. "Our communications, location of the cube, Banner, Thor… I got nothing for you." He took a deep breath and started walking around the table. "Yes, we were going to build an arsenal with the Tesseract. I never put all my chips on that number though, because I was playing something even riskier. There was an idea- Stark knows this- called the Avengers Initiative. The idea was to bring together a group of remarkable people, see if they could become something more. See if they could work together when we needed them to, to fight the battles that we never could."

The two men continued staring down at the table but Mia lifted her head to lock eyes with Fury. "If that was your plan, why did you wait to bring everyone together until there was an emergency? They'd need to learn how to work as a team and you didn't give them that; you can't just bring them all here and then point at an invasion and hope it'll work out smoothly."

"Well, to be honest, I knew it was going to take something big to get everyone to even agree to meet one another. And I didn't know where exactly you were going to fit in to all this."

Mia huffed a laugh. "Perhaps if you had been honest sooner, this wouldn't have been a problem. Your refusal to actually share anything is what has hindered you the most."

"I have made some mistakes," Fury replied evenly. "Done some things I'm not too proud of. But we've got bigger issues to focus on. Loki has to be stopped and right now, you're our best chance of doing that."

Mia looked away from Fury, staring out the window at the front of the ship. "No."

Tony glanced over at her from the corner of his eye as Fury repeated, "No?"

"You began this long before I landed at your feet, centered this scheme around Tony, Steve, Bruce, Thor, Natasha, and Clint. You chose them as your champions, thought that they would be enough; there's no need for me to involve myself."

"That's because we had no idea of your existence," Fury snapped.

"And do you know why that was?" Mia turned to look at Fury again. "You want to know why my parents kept me hidden for all these years? It was because of people like you- who would want to poke and prod and experiment on me. Who would want to run test after test to see just what I'm capable of doing because of what I am.

"I'm a mix of many," she glanced over at Tony, remembering an insult he had hurled at Steve when they'd been arguing not long after they'd first met. "I'm the laboratory experiment." Tony looked down at the table, a flash of shame flitting across his eyes. "But you want to know what I'm not?" Mia asked Fury. "I am not your weapon, I am not your savior, your Chosen One." _I am not your Harry._ "I am not your only hope- I am your last resort. It's what I have to be."

"And why's that? Because Loki told you so?" questioned Fury.

"Because there's a chance my getting involved is just going to make things worse. This scenario- Loki leading the Chitauri and retrieving the Tesseract- is the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario is that the army's true master comes down to Earth, kills everyone on the planet, and then takes the Tesseract from the burning wreckage that used to be Earth."

"Is that this dudes M.O.?" Tony asked incredulously.

"It's what he's done to every other planet," Mia told him.

"So, you're saying him finding out about your existence might turn this into a worst-case scenario?" Steve leaned forward, trying to catch her eye. "Why you? What about you would set this guy off?"

_Why you?_ That was the question, wasn't it? A question with so many different answers.

Because she's the daughter of Loki and had inherited his magical abilities.

Because her mother was smart, brave, determined, and powerful enough to have caught the attention of some of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy.

Because when push came to shove, she'd have several powerful individuals following her without hesitation into any war she got herself involved in.

The main reason though… "Because, once he knows exactly who I am, he'll know that no amount of force will bring me to knees." Mia looked up, forcing herself to meet Steve's gaze even though it was so hard for her, so uncomfortable, because she'd been inside his mind without permission and violated his privacy so thoroughly that he might not ever be able to forgive her. "He'll burn this world to the ground, try to kill everyone I love, in an attempt to break me from the inside out. If I help you and something goes wrong- I don't stay hidden well-enough or my defenses break and I'm forced to go all out or any number of reasons really- then I will quickly go from being your helping hand to the reason why you die."

She turned back to Fury. "The entire time I was being trained, my parents constantly reminded me that everything comes with a price and before I threw myself into a fight, I needed to figure out what that cost might be. The reason Earth has been ignored for all this time because humans are viewed as weak and worthless- we have been left alone because we are not a threat. If I participate in this battle, if we show the galaxy just how powerful a mere Earthling can be, that will make this planet an even larger target. Thor told you that using the Tesseract sent a message that the Earth was ready for a higher form of war- it's the same principle here. Sending me out to fight your battle will make others assume that you're working to create an army of soldiers that have powers like mine.

"You acknowledge that you have made mistakes, Director Fury. How confident are you adding me to your roster of superheroes isn't another one?"

* * *

"_Long ago there was a prophecy," her mother started and Mia instantly didn't like where this was going._

"_Prophecies aren't real," the brunette told her, expression mutinous. "It's all worthless nonsense. The future isn't written down in stone. The only people who decide our fates are ourselves." If Voldemort hadn't gone after the Potter's, if Dumbledore hadn't maneuvered things so that the prophecy he had heard would be set into motion, then Harry wouldn't have been burdened with a title he'd never wanted. Everything could have been different. But that was people, people made that happen. They wanted it to be real. Dumbledore wanted to have a hero handed to him. Voldemort wanted there to be only one way to stop him so that, if he could take that person out, there would be nothing in his way. Even Harry had a hand in making that prophecy a reality because he wanted to believe that he could make a difference, that he would be strong enough to avenge those he lost. He had spent years with the Dursley's feeling like he was nothing. That prophecy, being the Chosen One, meant that he did matter, that he was important. As much as he complained about the responsibility, Harry was quick to throw it into everyone's faces that he was the Boy-Who-Lived, demanded respect because he was the one who would defeat Voldemort. All of them had wanted the prophecy to be real, and in doing so they made it real._

_When Hermione had first heard about the prophecy, she hadn't held it as some sort of sacred script the way others had. A prophecy held no power unless someone believed in it. Faith was key, and it was something Hermione had little of. To be honest, she thought that faith might have been the reason that Voldemort had gotten as far as he did. His opposers had held faith in the idea that Dumbledore would save them and that had held them back slightly in their efforts. They weren't proactive- Dumbledore didn't tell them to do this, so why would they even consider the idea?_

"_I completely agree with you," Val reassured her, pulling Mia back from her thoughts. "Your father doesn't, but that's an entirely different matter. Just listen: long ago there was a prophecy stating that a child of your father's would defeat the most powerful god in the universe. Many believed that it meant the child, you, would defeat Richard's father, your grandfather. However, that prophecy was made a long time ago and the language was, well, difficult to translate. They got the wording wrong- it wasn't god, it was titan. The child would defeat the most powerful titan in the universe."_

_Mia frowned. "Titan is another word for god though, so the translation isn't actually wrong."_

"_It is when you find out that there's a planet called Titan whose population was referred to as Titans."_

_It only took a moment for things to begin clicking into place. "Don't tell me…"_

_Val nodded. "Thanos is from Titan; he's the last Titan, the most powerful Titan."_

"_No." Mia jumped to her feet. "No. I am not Harry. I am not going to allow a prophecy to dictate my life and my future. I-"_

"_Listen to me," Val started, standing up and cupping Mia's face in her hands, keeping her eyes locked with her daughter's. "You are not our savior. You are not our only hope. Saving anything- people, planets, the universe- that is not on you. None of this is your responsibility. It is not your job to save us. If you ever do go out and chose to use your powers, to help someone, it'll be just that: a choice. Something you decide to do on your own, not because of any pressure, but because you want to it."_

"_You are not Harry. You are not a symbol of hope, or a… a shining beacon to beckon followers to. You are Mia. You're the most important in the universe to me, and to your father. And you will always be perfect to us, just because you're you. What you might be or do in the future isn't important to us. We don't want or need for you to be anything more than you are. We just want you."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on the way out!**


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N): Hey guys! How's it going? Hopefully, you're weeks haven't been as stressful as mine. Guess who found out they have 30 days to find a new place to live? This girl. Sigh. It's fine. I've found a place and am starting to try and get my life sorted so that moving can be as painless as possible. I think the only reason I've still been able to write is because things are so low-key at work right now that I have a lot of down time to just work on my fics- which I'm certainly not going to complain about!**

**Shoutouts to Mia Flores, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, Yexius, Emma3mikan, Hp17, Sora Loves Rain, ABrighterDarkness, F5Chaos, FrumiousBandersnatch10, everything-is-black-and-white, sisselina, Choirchick16, blu199086, vamp1987, fringeperson, Elizabeth, KEZZ 1, Najada, Nanyin, Tajinprincess, kowildflower, and Guests for reviewing! Your continued support and love for this story is what helps keep me going.**

**So, things are going to be coming full-circle here in this chapter- hence the reason that the beginning and end scenes will look familiar. That had always been the plan; this is not just me being lazy. Promise.**

**This chapter wasn't beta read by Hannbells, despite her promises that she would, but it's okay because I bet her that she wouldn't and I appreciate being right. I'm petty like that. **

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_She stared upwards as the room started to shake around them. "What's going on?!"_

_Her mom glanced around as well. "Nothing good."_

_The ground started to shake so violently that she fell to her knees. "I… I think… there's something pulling on me!"_

_Kneeling down next to her, her mom put her hands on her shoulders. "You're going to be just fine, got it? You're going to go out there and you're going to prove everyone wrong."_

"_What's happening?" she whispered, staring at her Mom's familiar brown eyes- the same color and shape as her own._

"_The spell shielding you is breaking."_

_She knew what that meant and by the look in her eyes, so did her mom. "What about Dad?"_

* * *

Mia slipped into Infirmary Room 31-F and froze as Clint and Natasha looked up at her from where they were seated on a bed in the corner of the room. They were sitting side-by-side, heads bent together, but Natasha straightened up at the sight of the brunette.

"I… am I interrupting?" Mia asked hesitantly. "If so, I can come back later."

"No need," Natasha told her briskly and stood up. "Heard you're the reason Coulson's still alive."

With a small shrug, Mia softly answered, "If I had done a better job watching his back, he might not have needed saving."

"You stopped him from getting stabbed through the chest," the agent pointed out, green eyes boring into the other woman. "You also healed him up enough after he had been shot that he's guaranteed to make a full recovery."

She tried to force a smile but could only quirk her lips. "I may have been helpful to Phil, but I was useless to everyone else."

Clint also stood and took two big steps over to Mia, gently pulling her into his arms. "You also saved me- or do I not count?"

Freezing in surprise, it took a moment for Mia to realize what was happening and return the embrace. She clung tightly to Clint, burying her face in his chest. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I am, thanks to you." He rested his chin on top of her head. "Thanks for passing my message on to Nat."

Taking a shuddering breath, Mia breathed, "You remember."

"Not everything, but enough."

A sob caught in Mia's throat. "They're never going to forgive me," she whispered.

"Who?" Clint asked before realizing. "The guys?"

Mia nodded, still keeping her face hidden. "They're never going to forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?" Natasha asked, but they ignored her.

"There's nothing to forgive," Clint disagreed. "It wasn't your fault; you didn't have a choice. They'll realize that and they won't be mad. Even if it was your fault though, pretty sure they would still forgive you- you've got them wrapped around your fingers."

That only seemed to make Mia more upset and she was shaking slightly. "I don't want them wrapped around my finger- I don't want that. I… And how can you be so sure that it wasn't my fault? I don't even know what exactly happened so how can you?"

"Because I know you." Clint grasped her arms and gently tugged Mia away from him, bending his head down to meet her gaze. "I specifically remember you once saying something along the lines of that Steve and Tony might be the only ones able to rival just how much of a mess you were. You're too smart to willingly subject yourself to that."

Mia stepped back, keeping her eyes averted from Clint's. "Did they tell you?" she finally asked.

Clint's brow furrowed. "Tell me what?"

Flicking her eyes over to Natasha, Mia frowned in confusion as the red-haired agent shook her head. She was sure that Natasha would have informed Clint about Mia's connection to Loki first chance she had. Taking a deep breath, Mia forced herself to meet the blue-green eyes studying her. "Loki is my father."

"Oh, that."

Gaping at him, she repeated, "'Oh, that'? What does that mean? Are you saying that you knew? How could you know?"

"Trapped in an omnipotent stone, remember?" Clint ran a hand through his hair. "It wasn't like what happened with you, I didn't see everything, but some things kind of filtered through if they were about you since I was waiting for you? If that makes sense?"

She nodded, continuing to peer hesitantly up at him. "Are you… Should I…"

Sighing in frustration, Clint told her, "You've gotta stop taking responsibility for things that aren't your fault. You didn't choose what happened- any of it. We don't get to pick our relatives- we can't control what they do."

"He hurt you," Mia whispered through a closed throat.

"Yeah, but you didn't."

The door opened then and Steve stepped in. "Time to go," he said and then noticed Hermione standing close to Clint. "We were wondering where you ran off to." Steve noticed her red-rimmed eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she told him, but her eyes said differently. "Besides, it sounds as though you're in a bit of a hurry."

Steve was torn. She was right, they needed to go, but it went against every instinct he had to walk away from her then.

"Where are we going?" Natasha asked, pulling Steve's attention away from Hermione.

"I'll tell you on the way," he responded. "Can you fly one of those jets?"

"I can," Clint answered, stepping away from Mia.

Natasha nodded at Steve, reassuring him that Clint was good to go. "Got a suit?" he asked the archer.

"Yeah."

"Then suit up." Steve stepped away from the door so that Clint and Natasha could move past him but reached out a hand to stop Hermione before she could leave. "You sure you're alright?"

She swallowed. "I will be. I need you to promise not to worry about me though, not right now. You need to be completely focused on facing Loki. If you were hurt because I caused you to be distracted-"

"It's gonna be alright," Steve promised her, taking her hands in his and squeezing gently.

Giving him a sad smile, Hermione said, "You of all people know that you can't guarantee that."

"Maybe not," he allowed. "But I can sure as hell try."

Mia stepped into the workshop just as Tony finished working on his helmet. Once Tony had set down his welding tool, she spoke. "Please be careful."

Tony jumped slightly and looked up at her. "Look at you, being sneaky. I don't approve."

"I'm being serious."

"So am I. I prefer to be able to hear you when you're coming up behind me at all times."

"Well then, seeing as how I entered through the door in front of you, my sneakiness is completely acceptable."

Giving her a half smile, Tony stepped away from the table and towards Mia. "You not suiting up with the rest of us?"

She shook her head. "I meant what I said; I can't help you. There are too many things that could go wrong."

Tony held up his hands. "Hey now, I'm not judging. Honestly, I'm glad you're not joining. From the way it sounded, Loki kept your existence hidden for a reason and that reason is currently trying to bust its way through our front door."

Mia looked down at her feet. "That may be so, but it doesn't change the fact that lives are going to be lost today that might have been saved if I had gotten involved."

Leaning against the table, Tony said, "Steve said earlier that lives are always going to be lost during a battle, during a war. That it's just an unavoidable fact. While I may absolutely disagree with the principle, it doesn't mean he's wrong. You and me though, we take every single loss personally. Even if we didn't know them, we maybe could have saved them if we were just a little smarter or a little faster or just a little better. That's not true though- we can't save everyone. This battle, this fight- it's not your fault."

Blinking away tears, Mia hurried forward and hugged her brother tightly. "Please don't die," she almost begged. "You have to promise that you'll do whatever it takes to survive."

Having anticipated what Mia was going to do, Tony had remained relaxed for the first time since the tiny brunette had started hugging him on a regular basis. "Always do. And I promise to do what I can to get Loki back to you."

Pulling away, Mia placed her hands on her brother's shoulders and squeezed tightly. "No."

"No?" Tony repeated in confusion.

"No. The man that you're going to be facing isn't my father, just as the man attacking us wasn't Clint. It may be wearing his face and it may have most of his memories, but it's not him. If you have the shot, if you get the chance to stop this, then you take this." Mia swallowed hard. "It may be too late to save him. I may have already lost my father, Tony. I can't lose you too."

Tony hesitated. "Barton came back to himself without too much trouble."

Mia sighed. "Clint was only being controlled for a few days and while he may be ready to go to battle with the rest of you, he is far from alright. My father has been missing for months and during that time he was held hostage and tortured by a psychopath before being put under mind control; they had to break him first in order for them to be able to bend him to their will."

"But there's still a chance-" Tony tried to argue.

"Don't risk your life on a chance!" Mia interrupted. "Promise me, Tony. Promise me that you won't put yourself in jeopardy for a chance."

He didn't want to. Despite what she said, it was clear that it hurt Mia to think that she might never see her father again. But it was also clear that she was terrified of losing anyone else. Tony did the only thing he could do. "I promise."

Standing at a window facing towards the New York skyline, Mia watched as first Tony in his Iron Man suit flew away. Moments later, the quinjet holding Steve, Natasha, and Clint took off in his wake. She continued standing there until everyone was out of sight before turning on her heel and heading back towards the medical bay.

Having asked which room Phil was in when she'd come to visit Clint, Mia walked down the hallway with her head held up to project the confidence that Pepper had been drilling into her. If she looked like she belonged there, everyone would be more likely to assume that she did and wouldn't stop her to ask questions.

Sliding open Phil's door, Mia peeked her head in to see if the agent was awake. He wasn't, which made her frown, but she was relieved to see that he wasn't hooked up to any machines- indicating that he was in a stable enough condition that they didn't feel they were necessary. Mia stepped fully into his room and let the door close behind her.

Since it didn't appear as though Phil would be waking up in the next few minutes, Mia went into the attached bathroom. Scrubbing vigorously at her hands, picking at the dried blood beneath her nails, Mia glanced up into the mirror above the sink and then looked up fully, staring in surprise at her drawn, haggard appearance. She hadn't looked this bad since those first few days after her reappearance.

She looked less like Mia Stark, Tony's baby sister and Pepper's protégé and more like… Hermione. Hermione Granger, Undesirable Number 2.

It hit her then. Being Mia Stark opened doors to her that she never could have gotten through before. But, right now, those doors and options weren't going to be of any use to her. It was only now that she realized that there were also doors out there opened to Hermione Granger, doors that would be of help in their current situation. She had spent so long trying to ignore that part of her life, that she'd forgotten how much power there was in a name when it came to the Wizarding World. There was a way she could help her boys right now and if doing so required her to be Hermione Granger again then so be it.

The amusing thought that Pepper was right crossed her mind- she had only worn the mantle of Mia Stark for a short amount of time before switching hats- and she smiled slightly.

After splashing some cold water on her face and combing her fingers through her hair, Hermione threw open the door and found Phil sitting up in his bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Better than I should," he answered. "I'm guessing I have you to thank."

"You can thank me by assisting me with something. Do you know if Fury has a way to contact anyone in MACUSA? Preferably the President?"

Phil's eyes bored into her for a moment before he smiled slightly. "If Director Fury has found a way to get communications back online, then that shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you able to go check and see what's going on? I need to change." Hermione looked down at her creased and crumpled outfit.

Standing up, Phil grabbed his jacket off the back of a chair. "Meet me up on the bridge when you're ready."

After she had changed into a standard S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit, feeling very uncomfortable in the skintight uniform, Hermione headed up to the bridge, tying her hair up as she walked.

Phil, Fury, and the dark-haired female agent that Hermione still didn't know the name of were all grouped together when she arrived. "You sure about this?" Fury asked abruptly when he caught sight of her.

Hermione nodded. "I know you may not believe this given everything that's happened, but I do care. I want everyone to come back safely and if this can help them, then I'll do it."

Fury nodded. "At the moment, the President is meeting with several members of the Magical Congress and the Heads of both the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the U.S. Auror Divison, along with some sort of foreign law enforcement officer here on exchange. They've agreed to a video conference with us to discuss the current situation."

Following him to the command center, Hermione asked, "How are they able to keep the machines from breaking? Tony still hasn't found a foolproof way to keep my magic from shorting out his devices."

"The equipment is kept in a separate building from the rest of their headquarters. Building is run entirely without magic," Fury explained shortly, fingers flying over the controls as he accessed the camera. "It also doesn't hurt that American magic users are actually used to using technology frequently- unlike you guys."

An image appeared on one of the monitors. It was a plain looking conference room with a large oval table. The people sitting around the table, five men and three women, were facing the camera. They all appeared calm, but Hermione could easily see the strain in their faces. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of one of the men and the way Fury stiffened when he spotted him told Hermione that the Director wasn't expecting to see him either.

"Director Fury," the man sitting at the head of the table greeted.

"President Quahog," Fury responded. "I'm sure you're aware of what's happening right outside your door."

"We are. What we don't know is why aliens appear to be attacking New York. Isn't it your job to make sure that something like this doesn't happen?"

"It is. Unfortunately, there was no way for us to prevent this." Hermione wrinkled her nose but said nothing. "There's someone here who can do a better job at explaining things than I can." Fury stepped aside and Hermione stepped forward to join him. "Meet Hermione Granger."

Multiple pairs of eyes widened in surprise and one man jumped to his feet. "Hermione?" Harry breathed in disbelief.

Staring at the boy she had known since she was eleven years old, Hermione was struck by how old he looked. There were lines around his eyes, he had bulked up from the skinny boy he had been, and there was a confidence about him that she had never seen before. Harry had grown up. Even though she knew that time had passed while she was away, had learned about the years that had gone by with Steve, Tony, and Pepper at her side, Hermione hadn't really felt it until just that moment. She was staring at an aged version of her past and she wondered if Harry felt like he was staring at a ghost from his own.

"Harry," she greeted evenly, making sure to keep her expression blank. "I didn't expect to see you here."

Harry stared at her for a few moments before his expression turned thunderous. "What kind of cheap trick is this?" he spat, looking at Fury. "What exactly do you think you're playing at?"

Hermione smiled slightly. "This isn't a trick, this is real. I'm alive. Which is a pity for you, isn't it?"

"You are not Hermione! Hermione died in the war!"

"Would having proof that I am Hermione convince you? What if I told you things that only your Hermione Granger would know? Such as the fact that, despite the pretty little story you both spun at the end of the war about your heroic sidekick, we both know that Ronald Weasley is nothing more than a pathetic coward who ran off to mummy while we were on the run because he was hungry and defeating Voldemort was hard." Harry's eyes widened. "Or the fact that I was never engaged to Ronald and had no plans on doing so. Something you knew all along yet seemed to forget when it came to speaking with the press. Is that not enough? Should I spill out a few more of your secrets in order to prove myself? Shall I speak of how you almost murdered a fellow student while we were in school? Got several more gravely the year before because listening to reason just wasn't something you enjoyed doing? Should I tell the world just what kind of man Harry Potter truly is?"

Falling back into his chair, Harry ran his hands threw his hair. "How did you survive?" he asked weakly. "And where have you been? Why haven't you aged?"

"That is none of your business," Hermione shot back without hesitation. "We are not friends. Considering your actions after I was gone, we apparently never were. So you don't have the right to know what happened to me or where I've been or whatever other questions are currently running through your head. You don't need to know. You don't deserve to know. And you will never know."

Looking away from Harry's large, shock-filled green eyes, Hermione met the gaze of the President of the Magical Congress of the United States. "President Quahog, my name is Hermione Granger. I'm sure you're aware of who I am, of my history. Currently, I am working with S.H.I.E.L.D. as a consultant of sorts. Due to the fact that this event is being caused by an individual with magic, Director Fury thought that I would be more qualified to speak of what's going on than he is."

"Yes, that does sound reasonable," he responded, seeming almost amused and Hermione instantly knew that he was aware of her current identity. "While I'm also very curious about how you're still alive, I think that the aliens attacking Manhattan right now are a more pressing issue so, what can you tell me?"

Linking her hands behind her back, Hermione kept her shoulders back and chin up as she explained the situation. "Loki Odinson of Asgard, the man considered the God of Mischief by the Norse, has declared war against the people of Earth and is using an alien army called the Chitauri to launch an attack on New York. He is currently using two magical tools to aid in his attack: a stone with the ability to take over a person's mind, similar to the Imperious Curse, and a cube that can create a portal anywhere, even to the other end of the space- that's how the aliens were able to arrive here without warning. Once they're finished here, they'll start their campaign against the rest of the world. S.H.I.E.L.D. currently have their best people on the ground in the city fighting back, but we need help."

"You want us to join the fight?" one of the women asked, leaning forward in her chair.

"I do, but this is less about wanting and more about the fact that we are all, including every single one of you, in the fight of our lives. Loki is aware of the magical population on Earth and he will use MACUSA as an example to the rest of our world of what will happen to them if they do not bow to his wishes."

"Our defenses-" one of the men started to argue but Hermione cut him off.

"Your defenses are useless against him. He is over a thousand years old. Loki has been able to use magic his entire life and I highly doubt that anything you do would be something he hasn't seen and dealt with before. If I'm not mistaken, he's already made it so no magical means of transportation can be used to get in and out of the city." That was nothing more than an assumption on Hermione's part, based on her training with her father, but the looks on their faces confirmed her theory. "You're as trapped here as the rest of us. Loki will find you and, if you resist, rip you apart without remorse or mercy."

President Quahog continued to watch Hermione carefully even as his council continued to argue. "We can't risk exposing ourselves to the rest of the world!" someone argued.

The woman who had first spoken to Hermione responded to him. "We're way past the point of needing to worry about being exposed. She's right, Loki's cut off all our ways out of the city. Our only options now are to cower and hope that we're not discovered or fight."

Harry spoke up then, not taking his eyes off Hermione. "This can't just be your decision though. This may affect the entire Magical World."

"There's no time to contact the ICW," a man beside the President spoke. "Besides, we all know that Britain's preferred method to trouble is to just bury their heads in the sand and pretend nothing's wrong; you may be from a country of cowards, but we're not."

"You need to make a choice," Hermione said, stopping the other conversations in the room. "The only options here are to either bow to Loki or to fight back."

Quahog looked at the others in the room. "Well? Should we fight?"

Two of the women nodded. "As Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I say we fight."

"Seconded," the other woman agreed.

The third woman and one of the men shook their heads. "We can't risk it," the man said.

The man sitting next to the president looked at them with contempt. "Americans bow to no one. As Vice-President of the Magical Congress, I vote we fight." The last man nodded in agreement with him.

"I also believe we should fight," Quahog stated, looking back Hermione and Fury. "We will get as many as we can out onto the streets as soon as possible, but they will have to remain hidden for the entire battle. Once this is all over and we have to explain what happened to the rest of our community, I need to be able to cover our asses as best we can."

"Any help you can give is better than none at all," Hermione told him respectfully. "And if I can be of any assistance after this is all over, please let me know."

"I'll be sure to take you up on that," he told her, standing up. The others followed suit.

A voice came from behind Fury and Hermione. "Sir, the Council is on the other line."

Fury frowned, face turning severe. "Speaking of covering our asses…"

"The Chitauri army is enhanced with quite a bit of alien technology," Hermione told the President, stepping back. "Strong bursts of magic may be able to incapacitate, if not outright kill them, but I can't be absolutely sure of that. Otherwise, I recommend telling your people to use the most harmful spells they can. Stunning them won't do you any good- either you kill them, or they'll kill you."

Quahog nodded. "I'll instruct them to use lethal force."

"Wouldn't it be better-" Harry started but it was Fury that cut him off this time.

"Stunning spells aren't going to cut it this time, Potter. If you aren't capable of fighting with the intent to kill, then I recommend you sit this one out."

Harry looked at Hermione. "You can't honestly agree with this."

"Yes, I can. I'm actually surprised that you don't- I would have thought the number of people who died during the Second War because of their reliance on non-lethal spells would have taught you better." With that, Hermione turned and walked out of sight of the camera without looking back.

Ignoring the sounds of Harry calling her name, Hermione moved to stand next to Phil. "Do we have any idea of what is happening on the ground?"

"The Hulk and Thor have both arrived and joined the fight," he answered. "They're still having trouble handling things though- they're being overwhelmed in numbers alone."

"Can you let them know that they're going to be getting some magical aide in a bit?" she asked. "MACUSA should hopefully have some people out there in the next few minutes."

Phil nodded as Fury ended the call and moved over to them. "Agent Hill," he ordered. "Put the Council through."

The female agent nodded and Hermione mentally made note of her name. Moving over the controls, Hill started pressing buttons. "That went as well as could be hoped," Fury told Hermione and Phil. "Can't be sure, but I think having you speak is what made them agree."

"It's all about knowing which buttons to push," Hermione told him, smiling tightly. She had described Loki, her father that had never once made her doubt just how much he loved her, as nothing more than a violent monster. It was necessary, she knew that, but the guilt remained. "I don't generally enjoy manipulating things in order to get what I want but, when it's necessary, I can do so with a skill that makes my father proud."

Fury eyed her. "We still need to have that conversation."

Hermione nodded. "We do. But, right now, you need to be more focused on what exactly the Council wants from you. I highly doubt it's anything good."

Hill called over to Fury then and the Director stepped away, moving to stand in the center of command booth, and Hermione drifted off to stand against the wall. As the call started, Hermione turned to stare blankly at the room around her, the buzz of the agents speaking and frantically working fading into background noise.

_Mia._

Hermione jumped, spinning around to stare behind her with large eyes. There was nothing there.

_Mia!_

"Mom?" she breathed.

_I'm here._

It was then that she realized that the voice was coming from inside her mind.

_Told you I'd find you again, no matter what._

Mia could have sobbed in relief. _Where are you?_

_I'm on my way to you now. Just sit tight, okay? I'm almost there._

* * *

"_There's no way your father would drop the spell without telling us," her mother stated, voice low. "If it's breaking, it's because he can't keep maintaining it."_

_She couldn't stop the shudders coursing through her. "When I get back, what's going to happen?"_

"_I don't know. I wish I did but the magic thing was more your father's expertise than mine. You have to be ready though- he did the spell to protect you and if it's failing, there's a good chance that whatever's waiting for you out there is what he was trying to save you from."_

"_What do I do?"_

"_You watch everything and keep your head down," ordered her mother. "And once you find whatever it is after you, you use what we've taught you. Don't just fight your war- you gotta win it."_

_Nodding, her jaw tightens. "If this world is disappearing, does that mean I won't see you again?"_

_Smiling at her, her mother cupped her jaw. "No. The spell connecting all of together is still working. I'll find you- I promise. If not in your mind, then in the real world."_

_Feeling herself about to disappear, she reached up and squeezed her mother's hand. "I love you."_

"_I love you, too," her mother whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Be brave."_

_And then everything faded into darkness._

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N): Hello! Hope your weekend is going well! I don't know how you all spent your Friday night but my friend and I got drunk and saw the live-action Aladdin so I had a solid time. I am officially not a good role model though, so keep that in mind going forward.**

**Shoutouts to Msmalloryreads, Alyxia, ByronElizabeth, JeSuisMewmew, KateKat1992, Choirchick16, , sisselina, like. 56, FrumiousBandersnatch10, blu199086, Hp17, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, Sora Loves Rain, Nanyin, My Universe, iitonix3, kowildflower, Elizabeth, Adharablack85-2, noise95, Lexxxi, nbymlsnrf, ABrighterDarkness, vamp1987, lilphipp, colao, , LeeArt, fringeperson, baiters08, KEZZ 1, Tajinprincess, Najada, Stephanie MRV, and Guests for reviewing! You guys are amazing and I honestly could not do this without you.**

**I should have been clearer last time (my apologies) but there will still be opening and ending scenes in every chapter. Just now they won't be flashbacks for Hermione. Now, they might be anything. For this chapter, the scenes are from Val's point of view. You get some insight into what she's thinking and see a conversation that I didn't write into the main chapter. Future scenes will be from other characters, both friendly and not. I like this set-up because it will allow you to see what else is going on in the universe. You'll see things like enemies who are preparing to attack before Hermione even realizes they're a threat and what's going on behind the scenes- this is a large universe and I've got a lot going on you need to know about. **

**Just wanted to try and explain what's happening.**

**This chapter was beta-read by Hannbells so warm fuzzy feelings to her!**

**And now, another answer you guys have been dying for! Hope it was worth the wait!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_She pushed herself to go as fast as possible. She needed to reach Mia as soon as she could._

_They had tried so hard to protect her. Tried to make sure their daughter had the life they didn't. Loki doted on her in his own way, always reading and playing with games with her. Encouraging her and praising her, the way his own father had never done with him._

_She had always told Mia to live her life however she wanted to- that she could be anyone she wanted to be. While her childhood had been filled with people trying to hold her back, telling her that she needed to slow down and that she couldn't do this or that, she had done her best to ensure that Mia's was filled with encouragement and support._

_It didn't change the fact that she had failed her daughter though. Right from the start, she had failed her. She had given her away to be raised by someone else because she didn't think she could do it- hadn't wanted to, if she was being fully honest. She had wanted to live her life without any barriers now that she was finally free of her family and a child would have just held her back. That belief had begun to crumble as she felt the baby kicking inside her and was fully shattered as she watched the nurse hand her baby girl to the Granger's. She hadn't stopped them though as they left, sure that she would never be good for something as pure and innocent as Mia._

_Mia, meaning 'child who is wanted, wished for'. And she was wanted, so much._

_She had tried to make up for her mistakes in the years spent raising Mia but she didn't know how successful she had been. One thing she did know was that, at this very moment, her daughter was in a fight that she should never had to be a part of._

_Maybe she wasn't good enough to be Mia's mother. Maybe she never would be._

_But that didn't mean she wasn't going to keep fighting every day in order to be._

* * *

Keeping her presence hidden using a Disillusionment Charm, Mia watched as Fury argued with several shadow-figures on the screens in front of him.

"_Director Fury," _an English woman started, _"the council has made a decision."_

"I recognize the council has made a decision," Fury snapped. "But given that it's a stupid-ass decision, I have elected to ignore it."

"_Director,"_ an American man warned. _"You're closer than any of our subs. You scramble that jet-"_

"That is the island of Manhattan, Councilman." Fury was seething now. "Until I am sure that my team can't hold it, I will not order a nuclear strike against a civilian population."

"_If we don't hold them here,"_ the American responded, _"we lose everything."_

"I send that bird out, we already have." Turning off the monitors, Fury stepped away, expression set.

Mia's mind was racing, outlining all the possible choices that could be made and the best outcome for each. The team- Steve, Tony, Clint, Bruce, Natasha, and Thor- they were losing ground. There was too many enemies and not enough of them, even with the help that MACUSA was providing. So, something had to be done. If a nuclear warhead was shot at the city though, all of them would die along with millions of innocents and who knows how far the nuclear radius would be- and the impacts of the strike would last for decades.

If it were launched, the only logical response on how to deal with it would be to send it through the portal and the only one who could do that would be-

No.

Nonononononononono.

She couldn't allow this to happen. Mia had to stop the missile from being launched. Unless…

What was it her mom had said about the Chitauri? _"__They're a cybernetically enhanced species that operate under a hive mind intelligence- they're controlled by a Mother Ship__."_

She may not know as much about technology as some of the others on this ship, but she knew enough. If Mia were able to destroy the command ship that all the Chitauri were bound to, it would most likely cause all of the ones on Earth to die because it would snap whatever was tying them to it. A leader as intelligent as Thanos would have been sure to create a failsafe so that, should the unexpected happen and someone were to gain control of his army without approval, he could swiftly terminate the soldiers.

Fury turned away from surveying the command room abruptly and started down a nearby hallway. Hermione followed him down into his office, shutting the door behind her and reappearing. "Can they override your orders?" she asked abruptly.

Frowning at her, he answered, "They can. You think they will?"

"I think they've come to the decision that blowing up Manhattan is the answer, with or without your approval."

"Shit," he swore, resting his hands on his desk. "If we get to the deck quickly enough we can-" he didn't bother finishing his thought, just took off running. Hermione moved out of his way and just stood and watched as he disappeared from view.

Once Fury was out of sight, Mia walked over to the window and stared at her own reflection.

She had promised her parents that she wouldn't get involved, that she wouldn't do anything that could jeopardize their efforts to hide her from Thanos.

_Mom? _Mia thought.

_I'm here._

_Where are you at this precise moment?_

Hermione was able to feel her mom's confusion across their connection and she showed her what she had seen from the council and the idea that had come to her.

_Does anyone know your exact location?_

It only took a moment for Val to catch on to what her daughter was thinking. _Can you promise me without any hesitation that you can do this? Promise that you won't falter?_

_I promise._

_Then do it. I'm on my way to Earth now._

Hermione Granger was still technically considered dead, Mia Stark wasn't the hero her older brother was, and Mia Lokisdottir still had to remain in hiding. They couldn't save the day.

Continuing to stare at her reflection in the glass, Hermione called on the magic she had inherited from her father and it flowed through her easily, knowing what she wanted and fulfilling its purpose instantly. The dark jumpsuit changed form and colors, a mask covered her hair and the top part of her face, but her familiar brown eyes still stared back at her.

Maybe Mia couldn't save the day, but her mother could.

* * *

"Stark," Fury called into his comm. "You hear me? You have a missile headed straight for the city."

Something flashed in the corner of his eye and he turned to see a figure hovering in mid-air outside, just over the edge the deck. Fury froze, staring at the figure in shock. She hovered there for a moment, staring him down, before turning and flying off.

"_How long?" _he heard Tony asking him and he snapped back to attention.

"Three minutes max. Don't worry though, I've got someone handling it."

"_What, you've got some other hero waiting in the wings that you failed to mention to the rest of us?" _Tony's voice went from deliberately light to hard in an instant. _"Because that better be your answer, Fury, and not that you're trying to force my sister into participating in this."_

"No, Stark, your sister is still being a stubborn pain in my ass, just like you."

A hand landed on Fury's arm and yanked him around. He stumbled back a step, surprised at the unexpected show of force, and opened his mouth to give a harsh set down before his eyes widened and he gaped. "Shit."

* * *

"Tony," Steve shouted into his comm as he took out another alien. "What's going on up there?"

Before Tony could answer, Natasha's voice echoed into their ears. _"I can close it. Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!"_

A sliver of hope made its way into Steve. If they could just get that portal closed, maybe they had a shot of winning this. "Do it!" he ordered.

"_No, wait,"_ came Tony's voice.

"These things are still coming, Tony," Steve told him, confused as to what possible reason the other man could have for wanting to keep the portal open.

"_I've got a nuke coming in," _Tony told them grimly, and everyone froze. _"It's gonna blow in less than a minute- Fury just informed me of it, and that there's someone else on their way here to take care of it."_

"What do you mean by 'take care of it'?"

"_Well, Cap, since it can't be disarmed, I assume they're going to direct it through the portal as a gift to our lovely alien friends."_

"_Did Fury say who it is he's sending?"_ Clint asked. _"Is it Mia? I've seen large groups of these dropping after being hit by streams of light that are seemingly coming out of nowhere, so I assume she's working some kind of magic."_

Steve froze next to Thor, terrified that the archer was right, that Hermione was on her way here. Hermione had taught him about the weapons that had been created at the end of the war and those that had been developed during the Cold War period. Tony and JARVIS had both taught them the rapid advancements that had happened in just the last twenty years, Tony showing them some of his designs and the devastation that had followed because of his actions.

If the nuke went off, if there wasn't a way to stop it, and Hermione was here…

"_No, Legolas, not Mia. Don't know who it is though, Fury didn't tell-" _Tony stopped speaking for a moment before starting again. _"Got a lock on the missile and on whatever's chasing it. Damn, that thing is moving fast."_

"_How fast?" _Natasha asked.

"_Faster than even I can go, no matter how much power I put in my thrusters." _Tony sounded equal parts admiring and jealous.

"Whoever's coming," Steve started. "They know it's a one-way trip, right?"

The nuke came into sight then, and Steve could see a small, brightly colored figure attached to the underside of the missile, pushing it up straight into the portal.

Natasha's voice came over the radio then, voice deadly. _"Stay right where you are, Loki."_

Steve could see Thor tense beside him, his hand clutching his hammer and seemingly preparing himself to fly up and resume the fight with his brother again. However, Loki's response to Natasha made everyone freeze.

"_What is she doing?"_

"_Who?" _Natasha asked calmly.

Loki ignored her though, and everyone could clearly hear the panic in his voice as it echoed down the line. _"What is she doing up there? She was not to involve herself in this- she cannot be allowed to be seen."_

Everyone froze. There was only one person who Loki had shown any concern for this entire time.

"No," Steve breathed, craning his neck back to try and see better, wondering how the hell Hermione was able to fly like that.

"_JARVIS, put everything we got into the thrusters," _Tony ordered, turning to fly after the speck rapidly nearing the portal entrance. _"Find out if she has a comm unit on her."_

Steve was grateful that Tony hadn't bothered to sever the radio connection between them, desperate to hear what was going on.

"_Sir, I am patching you through to Miss Stark now," _JARVIS announced and then Mia's voice came over the line.

"_Tony?"_

"_Let go of the nuke," _Tony immediately ordered.

"_I can't do that."_

"_Mia, you let go of the nuke right now!"_

"_If I let go of it, everyone on this island will die, including you. There isn't time for another plan, this is our only chance. If I wasn't here, Tony, you would be doing the exact same thing."_

"You'll die," Steve told her, a lump in his throat. Was this how Peggy had felt, hearing him telling her that he had to put his plane in the water? Had she felt this terrified and helpless?

"_It's okay," _Hermione reassured him, and the absurdity made Steve ache. She was about to die, yet she was the one comforting him. _"Everything's going to be okay."_

"_No, it won't," _argued Tony. _"You dying is not okay. That is not an acceptable loss or a necessary sacrifice or whatever bullshit you're about to say. You are not a soldier and you are not allowed to die."_

"_You will stop this at once." _Loki was back, having likely taken Natasha's comm from her. _"This is far too dangerous. If-"_

"_Do you trust me?" _Hermione asked abruptly.

Steve didn't hesitate, squeezing his eyes shut. "Yes."

Loki and Tony spoke at the same time. _"No."_

"_Well, that's a shame. I suggest you both start preparing a spectacular apology for when we next see one another." _With that, Hermione shot through the portal.

For several moments, everything was still. It was as if the entire world was also frozen, waiting to see what was going to happen.

Simultaneously, every single Chitauri soldier still standing fell to the ground. The whale-like creatures flying overhead fell over, landing on top of a buildings or plummeting into the street. There was still no sign of Hermione though.

"Come on," Steve muttered, refusing to even blink as he stared at the last spot he had seen Hermione.

Tony hovered in the air next to the portal, waiting.

There was an echoing thud and then Natasha's voice came over the radio. _"We need to close it. I can see a backlash from the explosion that happened out there about to come through."_

"_You move an inch toward that cube, and I will take you out myself," _came Tony's low warning.

The threat apparently wasn't enough to stop the Widow though, since the shining blue light shooting into the sky disappeared, and the portal began to rapidly shrink.

"_NO!" _came multiple cries. Steve had stayed silent, watching the sky numbly as Thor spun his hammer and took off into the air.

Without warning, a small ball of light came shooting out of the portal a split second before it closed. It rocketed towards the ground before doing a loop in the air and righting itself right in front of Stark Tower.

"Hermione?" Steve breathed.

Turning, Steve began to race down the street towards the Tower, jumping over crushed vehicles and rubble without a second thought in his rush. "Tony, is that Hermione?"

"_It'd better be."_

Steve got there at the same moment that Barton arrived and both raced into the lobby, relieved to find that the elevator was working. It was the longest ride ever. Neither man spoke to one another, mentally preparing themselves for whatever they found. Loki, at least, was up there and Steve wondered how Clint was going to handle that.

With a ding, the elevator doors opened. Steve took a deep breath before stepping out first, eyes scanning the room quickly. A woman with blond hair wearing a blue and red suit with golden lining running through it was leaning over Loki, who was lying on a couch. Tony and Natasha were hovering over them, barely sparing Steve and Clint a glance as they entered the room, and the Hulk lurked by the broken window. Steve's heart sank. That wasn't Hermione.

"What's going on here?" Clint asked, bow clenched in his hands.

The blond woman looked over her shoulder at them and Steve's eyes widened in shock. The details were slightly different, face a little rounder and the features a bit more defined, but those eyes… the small smile playing on her lips as she looked at Steve…

"You're Hermione's mother," he stated, in awe. He'd had a fleeting thought of what kind of woman it would take to catch the attention of Loki and then help raise Hermione to be so strong and kind-hearted.

"Not exactly," she responded in Hermione's voice.

As Steve stared at her in confusion, Clint asked, "Illusion?"

She nodded. "Once JARVIS is back online and security protocols are put back in place I can drop it, but it's best to stay like this for now."

Clint nodded. "You think we're still being monitored?"

Shrugging, Hermione told him, "It's doubtful but I'd rather not risk it." At the sight of Natasha's disbelieving look, she explained, "To the rest of the galaxy, Earth is considered primitive at best- just as Thor said. No would have thought that humans would be able to defeat the Chitauri, so there would have been no need to send down things like monitoring devices or spies to see what we were doing; weren't not worthy enough for that much effort."

"Where is Thor?" Steve asked, realizing that the blond Asgardian was nowhere to be seen.

A rumbling laugh came for the Hulk and everyone turned to look at him. "Hulk smash," he told them proudly.

"You hit him again?" Tony asked, giving a tired smile. "You keep doing that and Point Break's gonna start taking it personally."

JARVIS's voice came over the speakers then. "I am now fully in control of the Tower's functions and have engaged all security measures."

"Thank you, JARVIS," Hermione called and then the illusion dropped.

She looked like herself again, though Steve wondered why she was wearing a S.H.I.E.L.D. jumpsuit. There were no obvious injuries on her, no bruises or cuts. Other than a look of exhaustion on her face, Hermione seemed perfectly fine.

"Sir," spoke JARVIS. "There appears to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. aircraft approaching the Tower."

Natasha and Clint shared a glance. "If that were just a containment unit, they would be coming in a truck," the assassin murmured.

"Is there room for it on the landing pad?" Hermione asked, seemingly unconcerned.

"We can't just let it land!" Clint protested.

"Well you can't exactly just blow it out of the sky, now can you?" Shaking her head in exasperation, Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "Honestly, think this through. Everyone down in the streets- civilians, officers, reporters- they think it's all over. They believe they're safe because the aliens are all dead. How do you think they'll react when their heroes destroy a clearly man-made plane that hasn't made any hostile moves first?"

"It's coming towards the Tower- that's a hostile enough move for me," Tony argued.

"Unless you have reason to believe that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been compromised, then attacking that craft would be the same as firing on your own people," Hermione retorted. She couldn't know for sure who was on that craft but she hoped, she prayed, that it was her mother. Because as confident as she was pretending to be, Hermione honestly didn't have a clue what she was doing.

"Do we have any idea on who's flying?" Steve asked the A.I.

"Unfortunately not," JARVIS answered. "All attempts to communicate have been ignored."

"A friendly would've answered." Natasha pulled a fresh clip from seemingly out of nowhere and loaded it into her gun.

"Unless they're not your friend," Mia told her absently, sitting back down on the floor beside Loki.

"What happened to him?" Steve asked, noting the knot beginning to form at the top of the Asgardian's forehead.

Her jaw clenched. "Apparently Natasha found it necessary to bash Loki in the head when he took her comm unit in order to speak with me." She still couldn't believe that the spy had done that. While Mia knew that Natasha still viewed Loki as an enemy, it was still hard for her to understand why she would have done that.

"The plane will be landing shortly," JARVIS announced.

The group waiting in tense silence for the A.I. to announce who their unknown guest was, their hands resting on various weapons- everyone except Mia. She just continued to sit quietly beside her father, unbothered by the elevated emotions in the room.

"Sir," JARVIS finally spoke. "Director Fury and Agent Coulson are on their way down now."

While everyone else in the room relaxed slightly at the information, Mia frowned. "Just Fury and Phil?" she asked.

"Why?" Tony interjected before JARVIS could answer. "Expecting someone else?"

Before she could answer, Loki began to stir. Shifting closer to him, Mia hovered over her father. "Dad?"

Loki's eyes slowly drifted open. He stared hazily at the ceiling for a moment before his eyes cleared and snapped to Mia. "Mia," he murmured.

"I'm here," she reassured him, taking his hand. "Are you well?" Mia asked and Loki knew what she was truly asking.

"He's gone; the stone's influence has been destroyed."

Mia relaxed, shoulders slumping like the strings of a marionette being released. "Are you sure?"

Gingerly sitting up, Loki rested a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "All is well." Then his face turned serious. "Other than the fact that you broke your promise to me and put yourself and everyone else in serious danger of course."

Shrinking into herself slightly, Mia ducked her head. "If I hadn't, Tony would have sacrificed himself. I couldn't let that happen. I calculated the odds and made a choice, one that was successful."

"But it may not have," Loki snapped. "You could have been discovered- you could have died! Have you any idea of what all might have occurred if you made even the slightest error?"

"Hey-" Steve started, stepping forward, but Hermione broke in again.

"After everything you've done over the centuries to protect your brother, how can you judge me for doing what I could to save my own?"

Loki blinked, the only sign of surprise he would allow himself. "Your brother?" he repeated. "When did this happen?"

"A couple of months ago," Tony answered casually, moving closer to his sister so that he was right behind her. "You know, after you dumped her on Earth with no memory of who you were and what was happening."

Rage flared in Loki's eyes. "I did not-"

The sound of the elevator doors sliding open interrupted him and Fury and Phil stepped into the room. Mia stared hopefully at the elevator, willing another person to step out behind the two men, but there was no one.

She wasn't here. She hadn't arrived yet.

The two agents scanned the room, taking in the scene before them, and then Fury's gaze locked onto Mia. "Can't believe I didn't see it before," he muttered in way of greeting.

Phil was also staring at Mia with interest. "Now that we know the truth, it is much easier to see the similarities," he agreed with the director.

"What are you two talking about now?" Tony demanded, obviously tired and frustrated. His patience was running thin right now- all he wanted was for Loki to leave so he could shower, eat, and question Mia about her saving-him thing before calling Pepper and sleeping for at least 24 hours.

"We got a visitor today after you left," Fury told Mia and her face lit up.

"You did? She's here? Where is she?"

"Looking for me?" came a voice from the kitchen.

Everyone jumped. Even Hulk looked surprised that someone had managed to get into the room without his notice. Steve blinked at the blond woman, the person Hermione had been pretending to be. "You're…"

"Mom!" Mia shrieked, standing up and hurtling across the room. Leaping over the counter that separated the kitchen from the rest of the space, she threw herself into her arms. "Mom!"

The blond woman hugged her back just as tightly. "Hey, kid."

"I missed you," Mia sobbed, finally unable to hold back her tears anymore.

"Not as much as I missed you." She pressed a kiss into the side of her daughter's hair. "You did good out there; I'm so proud of you."

"Who is that?" Natasha asked, eyes narrowed.

"That is Carol Danvers," Fury answered, also watching the reunion taking place in front of them. "She's the reason the Avengers were ever an idea in the first place. And apparently, she's also Hermione's mother- though I have no idea how the fuck that works."

Loki had also climbed to his feet at the sight of the other woman. "Val," he greeted softly, voice slightly teasing.

"Hello, Richard," she answered, pulling away from Mia but still keeping an arm around her daughter and smiling at the dark haired man. "Been awhile."

He took a few steps forwards before Steve stepped in the way.

Carol rolled her eyes. "I see you've made some new friends."

"I did," Mia murmured, resting her head on her mom's shoulder. "Dad didn't have much luck though."

"He rarely ever does."

"Coming from the woman who could list all her friends using one hand," Loki retorted with a small smirk. "That's not the insult you may think it to be."

Shaking her head in exasperation, Carol retorted, "Still more than you. And just so we're clear, once your concussion is gone, I'm going to kick your ass for this."

Mia smiled. It was good to be home.

* * *

"_Do you have any idea what you've done?" Carol demanded after she'd dragged Fury into an empty room._

"_Hermione is your daughter," Fury muttered, finally piecing it all together. "You had a kid."_

_Carol shoved him hard in the chest. "I have a kid. A daughter that you put in danger because you couldn't do as you were told. You promised me, Fury. You promised to protect the Tesseract, to hide it away so no one could find it."_

_Fury's expression was stoic. "Yeah, well, that was then. Before I realized that an attack could happen at any moment and you wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop it."_

_Her eyes flared with rage. "How would you know? Until a day ago, you haven't tried to contact me- you have no idea how quickly I can get here. You just assumed I would be too far away to help when Thor and Loki came here but you'll never know for sure if that was true." At the look of surprise on Fury's face, Carol gave a bitter smile. "You think I don't know what Loki was up to? You think I didn't try to stop him? _

"_I trusted you," Carol hissed. "I trusted you to do the right thing, to protect the Tesseract from falling into the wrong hands. I had no idea that the hands I should have been worrying about were yours."_

"_You left us alone and defenseless in order to help protect the universe," Fury defended himself. "Which is a noble cause and all but kind of means that we have to figure out a way to adapt."_

"_Don't you get it, Fury? Mia __is__ my universe. Everything I have done, and everything I will do, is to protect her. And I promise you, Fury, that if anything happens to her- if she is harmed in any way because of you- the threat you will have to protect yourself against will be me. There is a reason I caught the eye of Loki when I was still a human. You think he's violent, chaotic, and destructive? You haven't seen anything yet and if I were you, I'd pray to never have to."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	16. Chapter 16

**(A/N): Hey guys! How's it going? Hope you're all having a good weekend. It's hot as hell where I'm at so I'm just trying to stay cool while I'm packing.**

**Shoutouts to Shola2001, Purple Myst, Aid4, angel897, like. 56, FrumiousBandersnatch10, Alyxia, DragonHeart89, Tajinprincess, everything-is-black-and-white, MarieGT18, Akatsuki's Kyuubi, Sora Loves Rain, sonnetStar, SailorAquos16, MissDoeProngsRose, UNCPanda, Rose Jean Everdeen, aiyaiy13, Hp17, ABrighterDarkness, fringeperson, Elizabeth, vamp1987, ANGSWIN, Nanyin, Catzandbookz8, , Natacat2912, KEZZ 1, Stephanie MRV, Najada, Yexius, and Guests for reviewing! I love how everyone was either so thrilled at being right about her mom or so shocked because they didn't see it coming. Either way, your enthusiasm was amazing!**

**Okay, so, I just want to get this out of the way. You're going to read this chapter and you're probably going to have... strong feelings and confusion. So, I just want to say this: PLEASE TRUST ME. I haven't led you astray so far, right? You've had faith in me and I've delivered (hopefully). I feel like most of you will be thrilled but a few of you are going to have some accusations so just remember this note right here, okay? Have a little faith.**

**This chapter was sorta beta read by singingmyheartsong so warm feelings go to her!**

**Thank you all for reading! Enjoy!**

* * *

_Harry stopped the President before he could exit the conference room._

"_You might not be aware of this," President Quahog started, tone dry. "But there is a bit of pressing situation going on outside that I need to deal with. Unfortunately, that means I don't have time to pander to your needs. My sincerest apologies."_

"_Did you know Hermione was still alive?" Harry demanded, refusing to let the man leave before he answered his question._

_Quahog rolled his eyes. "No, I didn't. But that's not really surprising, is it? I'm the president of a country she wasn't a citizen of, I didn't know her personally, and I was not at all involved in your civil war. Why would I have had any reason to have suspected that she wasn't dead? The real question here is: what's your excuse?"_

_Frowning, Harry asked, "What do you mean?"_

"_Well, you were her best friend- you've said so yourself many times. You were the reason she was captured and tortured, the reason she was thought to have died. You never once suspected that she might not be dead? That maybe, Hermione Granger was just missing?"_

_Harry turned pale. "How do you know I was the reason?"_

_Stepping around him, Quahog answered, "I read the reports- I know more than you probably wish I did. I'm well aware of the fact that when something went horribly wrong, something that could have been avoided, it was usually either Dumbledore's fault or it was yours." When Harry opened his mouth to respond, Quahog raised a hand to stop him. "Take a hard look at your past, Potter, and tell me- can you really say I'm wrong?"_

* * *

"No," Mia stated, arms crossed over her chest.

"Hermione," Steve started, tone calm.

"No," she repeated, tone sharper. "No, absolutely not. This is ridiculous!" She turned to look at Thor. "You can't have him."

Everyone except Bruce, who was currently sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms, had gathered in the living room. Loki had already been taken away by several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, much to Mia's displeasure, and they were now discussing what was to happen next.

"Loki is of Asgard," Thor told her, expression calm and persuasive. "He needs to atone for his crimes among his own kind."

"Loki was captured, tortured, and brainwashed," Mia spat back. "He has done nothing wrong. I know exactly what your _justice_ entails," she sneered. "You want to lock him in a cage and leave him to rot, to wallow in his own mind until he goes mad."

"The Allfather is fair and just," Thor rumbled. "Loki will not be punished for those crimes where he was not a willing participant. However, there is still the matter of his attack on Asgard before he fell- he allowed Frost Giants into the city and many were harmed because of it."

Before she could respond, Carol rested a hand on her daughter's shoulder. She didn't say anything, just gave a light squeeze, but Mia knew that that meant that she needed to stay quiet. Looking over at her mother, Mia allowed the confusion she was feeling to brush lightly against Carol's mind.

"Do you know why Loki did all that?" Carol asked Thor, expression stony.

"He wished to become King of Asgard," he answered confidently.

Carol's lips twitched. "Yeah? You sure about that? You didn't know about me, you didn't know about Mia- you had no idea where your brother was running off to all these years and no clue about what he was doing. Let me take a guess here: you assumed he was off causing mischief or practicing the 'feminine art' of magic but couldn't be bothered to find out for sure." Thor flushed slightly, looking slightly guilty, and Carol went in for the kill. "Out of everyone, Mia and I are the ones who know Loki best. You may be his brother but, when it comes right down to it, you know nothing about him."

"You're saying that Loki had another reason for what happened last year?" asked Phil, who was standing off to the side with Clint and Natasha.

"I do," Carol answered. "But it's really none of your business."

"It is when we end up having to deal with a war coming here to Earth," Fury retorted, glowering at the blond. Clearly, he wasn't handling all the new information well.

"War? I thought it was just 'a grudge match that leveled a small town'," Mia taunted.

Fury turned his hardened gaze onto her. "Considering how involved you are with all this, should you really be a part of this?"

"Considering this is her home," Tony interjected, wandering over to the kitchen and leaning against the counter, "I think she has more right to be here than you do. If you don't like it, feel free to leave."

"When do you leave?" Natasha asked Thor, arms folded over her chest.

"We leave in two days time, once the Tesseract has been released into our custody."

Mia threw her hands up in the air. "Again, there is no 'we'. You are not taking Loki! And you are absolutely not taking the Tesseract! I can't believe this is even a discussion that needs to be had."

Now Thor just looked confused. "The Tesseract belongs on Asgard."

"Perhaps it did a thousand years ago, before you left it here on Earth as though it were trash and forgot about it." Mia could feel her magic beginning to escape from her tight grip around it, crackling in the air around her. "You left it, you forgot about it, you never thought once about the magical blue box you handed off to the Vikings here on Midgard. It has been here for over a thousand years! You abandoned it here so now no longer belongs to you."

"And you believe it would be safer here, after all that has occurred?" Thor questioned. "At least on Asgard, we would not be foolish enough to toy with something beyond our understanding."

Snorting, Mia told him, "Oh, I absolutely agree that the Tesseract should not be left with the likes of Fury or S.H.I.E.L.D. But that does not mean that we should give it to you."

"Can you give your word that it will be protected?" Carol asked.

"Mom!" Mia cried, giving the woman a betrayed look.

Carol's face remained blank but a sense of warning echoed through their connection.

"It will be protected on Asgard," Thor vowed softly. "And my brother… Loki… will be well cared for. You have my word."

"And how worthless a thing that is," sneered Mia, jumping up from her seat and heading towards the elevator.

"Mia?" Tony asked, taking a step towards her.

She held up a hand to stop him. "I have some things I need to take care of."

Frowning, Carol said, "We still have things we need to discuss."

Mia stepped into the elevator. "We've already discussed everything I cared to speak about."

"Yeah, well I haven't," Fury stated, shifting as though he was about to walk towards her.

"You take another step towards me and I will shoot a photon blast at you with enough force to send you sailing out the window," Mia warned. "The odds of you surviving that are quite slim, in case you were unaware."

"Hermione," Steve warned. He knew she was upset, but this wasn't the way to go about dealing with things.

The look she gave him then made Steve flinch. Even when they had barely known each other, Hermione had never looked at him with that much anger and disgust. The elevator doors closed then, leaving the group staring at each other in uncomfortable silence.

* * *

As soon as the elevator started moving downwards, Mia apparated out of the car and into a small alley she had scoped out weeks ago when she and Steve had been exploring. She pulled out the comm unit still in her ear and crushed it in her hand. Unfortunately for everyone back at the Tower, her use of magic destroyed any and all electronic means of tracking that had been on her. It was for the best- they would just slow her down.

As Mia made her way down the street, her mind struggled to understand what had just happened. How could her mother just agree to hand off Loki like that? How could she allow his fate to rest in the hands of fools like the Asgardians? And they were fools- hiding away in their realm and refusing to interact with the rest of the galaxy unless absolutely necessary because they thought others to be beneath them. Her father deserved better.

That matter would have to wait to be dealt with. If it came right down to it, Mia knew it wouldn't take much effort to break through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s defenses and release Loki on her own. And if that's what it came to, she wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Turning right onto an almost deserted street, Mia's pace increased as she kept track of the building numbers climbing upwards with every one she passed. Finally, she came to a stop at her destination- 177A Bleecker Street.

The last message Clint had passed along to her from within the stone- along with several images the stone had given her as she was leaving.

_I am one of six._

That had been the entirety of the message and Mia wondered if Clint remembered giving it to her. He hadn't known what it meant at the time, but she did.

After she had been given the message, the stone had shown her the image of a necklace with a pendant shaped like an eye and a green stone locked within it. Then it had shown the image of a bald woman dressed in yellow. Finally, she saw a three-story stone building. It was large and grand but didn't stand out from the other buildings around it. Mia could feel the power contained within it though. She felt the ground was vibrating slightly beneath her feet, it was so strong.

Taking a deep breath, Mia walked up the steps and knocked lightly on the door. After a moment, it swung openly slightly, revealing an empty entryway. She hesitated a moment before stepping cautiously inside.

Standing at the top of a grand staircase was a dark-skinned man holding a sword. "Welcome," he intoned, nodding at her.

"Hello," Mia returned. She wavered for a moment, trying to figure out what to say.

"The Ancient One has been expecting you," he told her before she had to try and explain her presence. "Come." He turned around and started walking away from her.

Mia hurried up the stairs after him. "Who are you? And who is the Ancient One?"

"I am Daniel Drumm, Master of this Sanctum."

Peering around at the pictures covering the walls and the many closed door, Mia murmured, "Master or guardian?"

"Both." Drumm stopped in front of a set of double doors. Pushing them open, Mia peered around him to see a large library. Standing in front of the bookcases with her back to the room, was a bald woman dressed in yellow. "Ancient One," Drumm greeted her as she turned to look at them, nodding his head respectfully to her.

"Thank you, Daniel," she told him, tone light and even. Without another word, Drumm walked away.

Mia stared at the woman from her vision. _I am one of six. _"I need your help," she blurted out before she could stop herself. The stone had sent her here for a reason- this wasn't the time for games.

The other woman, the Ancient One, seemed unperturbed. "I know. I am aware of why you've come here, Mia Lokisdottir-Danvers. The real question is, do you?" She walked over to a low table, sitting down on one side and gesturing for Mia to join her.

As she sat, Mia grimaced. "I have no idea. So much has happened that is beyond my current understanding. All I do know is that a storm is coming, one none of us can escape from, and that you may be able to help me figure out what I need to do next."

The Ancient One studied her closely for a long moment before nodding slightly, as though she approved of what she'd seen. "Tell me, what do you know about the Infinity Stones?"

Tilting her head slightly to one side, Mia answered honestly, "I have no idea what those are."

"You may not know the name, but you have already come into contact with two of them." Lights appeared above their heads and Mia glanced up, startled, to see the image of a galaxy swirling above their heads. "In the beginning," the Ancient One began, "there was nothing. Then, once the phenomenon most refer to as the Big Bang occurred, six elemental crystals were formed and scattered across the infant universe." Six stones appeared in the galaxy overhead, each a different color. "These stones have since been referred to as the Infinity Stones- aspects of our universe that are vital and eternal. Each stone controls an essential aspect of existence: Space, Reality, Mind, Power, Soul, and Time."

Mia eyes were wide as she took in what she was saying. "The Space Stone, the blue stone, is that contained in the Tesseract?"

Nodding, the Ancient One told her, "It allows it's wielder to travel anywhere in the universe in the blink of an eye- if one can figure out how to access it's power."

"The Mind Stone is embedded in the scepter," Mia muttered, running her hands through her hair in agitation. "And the Time Stone… I saw that stone in my vision. The vision the Mind Stone gave to me. It showed me you and the Time Stone, which was hidden in a necklace."

A strange light appeared in the Ancient One's eyes. "No one can handle touching an Infinity Stone with their bare hands- it's too powerful for their body to survive coming into contact with- but a stone can be placed into an object and it's power accessed through it."

Concentrating on keeping her breathing slow and even, Mia tried to process everything. "What would happen if someone collected all of the stones?"

"They would be the most powerful being in the universe, able to bend this world to their will."

A portal opened then to the left of them, ringed in a golden light, and two men stepped out. The first was another dark-skinned man, the other of Asian descent and holding the necklace she had previously seen. "Mordo, Wong," the Ancient One greeted.

"Ancient One," the first man, Mordo, greeted, bowing his head slightly.

Wong scowled. "This is unwise."

The Ancient One stood, Mia quickly following suit, and walked over to Wong, taking the necklace from his hands. "I understand your concerns, Wong, but my decision has been made." Turning back to Mia, the Ancient One stepped towards her. "You came for answers. This is the only way you will be able to learn what you need."

Realizing that the Ancient One intended to give her the necklace, Mia stumbled back. "No."

The two men looked surprised at her refusal, though the Ancient One just smiled slightly. "This is the only way."

"You don't even know me," Mia argued. "That is one of the most powerful artifacts in existence and you want to just hand it off to someone you only met minutes before? That's insanity! Honestly, I know nothing about you, not even your name or why you're called the Ancient One. Why would you grant me access to the Time Stone?"

"Because, while you may not know who I am, I am well aware of who you are. You are Hermione Granger, the girl who was turned into a soldier far too young and sought to correct every injustice she saw." An image appeared out of thin air next to them of Hermione during the war, far too thin in her tatty clothes and eyes too old. "The girl who will be the downfall of a corrupt government and pave the way for an Age of Enlightenment in Wizarding Britain."

The image changed to one of Mia and Tony in evening wear, posing for pictures at an event. "You are Mia Stark, sister to Iron Man and soon to be manager of the Avengers and activist for any with powers that are being persecuted or oppressed. The girl who will set out to right all the terrible wrongs her brother made when he was the proclaimed Master of Death.

"And, you are Mia Lokisdottir-Danvers, daughter to a powerful Asgardian magic user and the living embodiment of the Space Stone." Again the image shifted, showing Mia standing on a battlefield, wearing an outfit she had never seen before. It looked similar to her mother's suit, only the colors were dark green and gold- her father's colors- and instead of a simple star on the chest, there was a star with two snakes twisted into an S on top. The symbol of Loki on top of Carol's. "The woman who cares nothing about power, only about being able to protect harm coming to those she loves. Who values family above everything else in the world."

Mia could feel herself shaking. "You've seen my future."

"I have seen possibilities," the Ancient One corrected. "I have seen many things that could come to pass. But, in every future of you I have looked upon, you have always been a protector. All you seek in life is to keep the people you love safe and while you may collect power in order to do so, you never fall into a lust for it. You never lose control or forget yourself. You, Mia, are a good person."

"But what if the fact that you've told me that now causes me to become a bad one? Causes me to become overconfident and arrogant?" Mia shook her head. "It's too much a risk. There are too many things that could go wrong. And I… I don't want to know my future. My future isn't set in stone."

Wong spoke to her then, face still serious but seemingly less hostile than before. "The Ancient One said that she has seen futures- meaning that are an infinite amount of routes your life could take. The future isn't a set thing- time is constantly shifting and changing. The stone doesn't show _the _future, just _a _future."

"I don't want it," Mia answered firmly. All she could think of was Dumbledore, who had gained so much power that he believed he had the right to manipulate people as he pleased because he knew best. "Power like that… it corrupts a person when placed into the wrong hands."

Mordo smiled then. "You were right, Ancient One. She is wise beyond her years and has a strength of will I have never seen before."

The Ancient One ignored him, smiling slightly at Mia. "Oh no, I'm not trying to give you the Time Stone. I'm simply allowing you to hold it so that it may pass along whatever message it needs to give you. That is why the Mind Stone sent you here- there is something you need to see."

Mia frowned. "I know that the Mind Stone has at least some sentience, but I thought that was just because of it's power. Are all the stones capable of such… communications?"

"I don't know," the Ancient One answered freely. "I haven't had the opportunity or the need to find out for myself. Though, I do believe they have some independence, but not enough to be able to actually use themselves."

With a wave of her hand, the Ancient One opened the necklace, revealing the bright green stone within. Holding it out to Mia, she said, "Are you ready?"

"No," Mia muttered. She didn't want to do this. But, if it somehow involved Thanos, then she needed to know. She needed to be able to warn her parents.

Before she could take the necklace, the Ancient One gave one last piece of advice. "Know that what you may see does not necessarily dictate what will come to pass. Nothing is absolute."

Her words were ominous and Mia took a deep breath, desperately trying to collect her nerve, and then her hand closed around the eye.

* * *

_Everything hit her all at once. Images, feelings, smells, tastes rushed through her, demanding her attention._

_Mia threw up her occlumency shields, desperately trying to find a way to filter through the information coming at her._

* * *

_She saw a young man and a woman- twins, something whispered to her- strapped down to a table in a too-dark room. They looked to be in pain. Then they were on a street and she could see them more clearly. The man had silver hair with dark brown roots, bright blue eyes and moved from one side of the street to the other in the blink of an eye._

"_Bet you didn't see that coming."_

_The woman had brown hair with some reddish undertones to it and her eyes turned from green to red as her hands glowed crimson with power, similar to how Mia and her mother's hands looked when accessing their abilities. She blasted something- Mia couldn't tell exactly what it was- across the street and while her powers almost looked like magic, Mia knew it was something different._

"_This is all our fault."_

* * *

_She watched as Steve in civilian clothes fought a man in all black with a silver arm on a city street, surrounded by destroyed cars. The man had dark, chin-length hair and was wearing a mask that almost looked like a muzzle. Whoever he was, he was able to match Steve's full strength seemingly without issue. Just as Mia was about to categorize him as an enemy, she found herself in some sort of vault. The man from before was sitting in a chair that was unlike anything Mia had ever seen before. His features were almost hazy to her, but the one thing she could clearly see were his bright blue eyes._

_A slap echoed through the room._

"_But I knew him," he said, voice soft and confused._

"_Prep him," a man Mia couldn't see ordered._

_Someone wearing a dress shirt and a polka-dot bow tie stepped forward. "He's been out of cryo-freeze too long."_

"_Then wipe him and start over." _

_The blue-eyed man accepted a mouth guard without argument and sat back in the chair. Restraints engaged around his arm and a strange machine whirled into action, two metal pieces sparking into life and settling against his head and he clenched his fists. Electricity started sparking straight into the man and the last thing Mia heard before she left the vision was the sound of his muffled screams._

* * *

_Purple clouds everywhere. "But you're mortal! How?!"_

"_You said it yourself, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy."_

_But who were they?_

* * *

_Mia stood in front of Tony._

"_I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust you! You strut around and claim to be a savior, that you don't make weapons anymore but look around you Tony! Do you think any of the people you have gotten killed or will end up dying because of this claim you as their hero?"_

* * *

"_Isn't that the 'why we fight'? So we can end the fight- so we can go home?"_

* * *

_A red man in a cape- was he covered in red or was his skin actually red?- fought back-to-back with Thor, the Asgardian's hammer tossed back and forth between them as they fought._

"_Stark asked for a savior and settled for a slave."_

"_I suppose we're both disappointments."_

* * *

"_You lied to me!" Steve shouts at Mia. "You betrayed my trust!"_

"_Oh, yes, Steve, let's make this all about you. Poor Steve, always just a selfless martyr tirelessly fighting for justice. If what I did makes me a villain then fine, cast me as the bad guy in this story! I won't apologize for what I've done, and I certainly won't regret it. I did what I thought was right. Something you're clearly no longer familiar with after all this time of doing nothing more than taking orders."_

* * *

_Tony and Steve facing off, each in their respective armor, Steve bloodied and beaten and Tony covered in dents._

"_He's my friend."_

"_So was I."_

* * *

"_You have such a capacity for goodness," the Ancient One was saying, looking out over the sky as she stood next to a man in a cape and wearing the necklace that contained the Time Stone. They were both slightly see-through. "You always excelled. But not because you craved success, but because of your fear of failure."_

"_That's what made me a great doctor," the man replied softly._

"_It's precisely what kept you from greatness," the woman corrected. "Arrogance and fear still keep you from learning the simplest and most significant lesson of all."_

"_Which is?"_

_The Ancient One turned to look at him. "It's not about you."_

* * *

"_I'm not ready."_

"_No one ever is. We don't get to choose our time. Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short._

"_You'd think after all this time I'd be ready."_

* * *

_Loki stood with the Tesseract, holding it out to a giant purple alien._

"_I assure you, Brother, the sun will shine on us again."_

* * *

_Her father was laying on the ground, the world around him dark and on fire. His eyes were open, expression blank. Lifeless. Her mother was kneeling over him, hands on his chest, calling his name and begging him to come back with an agonized expression on her face._

* * *

_A man with curly brown hair was standing in front of a green-skinned woman with purple hair. Behind her, holding her by the shoulders, was the purple alien from before._

"_I love you," the woman whispered. "More than anything."_

_The man pointed a gun at her with shaking hands. He seemed so…_

* * *

_The woman with red hands stood in front of the kneeling red man._

"_We are out of time."_

"_It's not fair. It shouldn't have to be you, but it is."_

_It was strange though. There was this vision, but there was another that felt like it was almost echoing against. Another version with different people. The silver-haired man and…_

_Her._

"_It's not fair," Mia was saying. "It shouldn't have to be you, but it is."_

_And the man looked like she was ripping her heart out of his chest with every word even as he pointed a gun at her head._

* * *

_Steve knelt next to a pile of ash._

"_Oh, god."_

* * *

_Tony was crumbled in a heap, eyes glassy and body broken and burned, as the world burned around him._

* * *

Mia tore herself away from the stone and fell to her knees, her magic exploding out of her and destroying the room around them. It took a moment for her to understand that the cry of pain she was hearing was coming from her.

"NO!" she screamed, denying what she had seen. Her hands slammed against the floor, cracking the boards beneath them.

"Control yourself!" someone ordered but she ignored them.

There was a mind pressing on her shields and a small part of her recognized her mother frantically trying to connect with her. Mia shut her out, shut out everything, as a toxic mixture of fear, rage, sadness, and soul-tearing agony shredded her from the inside out.

"Mia!" Hands cupped her face, forcing her to look up into her father's face.

"Dad?" she gasped, seeing his concerned expression in front of her while simultaneously seeing the emptiness in eyes from before.

"What happened?" he demanded. "Tell me what is wrong."

She shook her head frantically, pressing her lips tightly together.

Loki turned from her to look at the others in the room, two of whom had conjured weapons and stood ready to fight him. He saw the necklace in the woman's hand, green stone still visible to the world, and recognized it for what it was immediately.

"What have you done?" he snarled, barely keeping himself from attacking.

The Ancient One continued looking unconcerned. "She came to us for answers- she chose to make contact with the stone."

"And I'm sure you warned her of what could happen if she did?" Loki sneered. "Informed her of all the abilities the stone possesses?"

"I would have thought you had covered the Infinity Stones in your teachings," she retorted.

Mia's mind sluggishly tried to comprehend. Those visions… she couldn't… "Daddy?" she repeated and for just a moment, she felt like she was four years old again, waking up from a nightmare that she couldn't find the words to describe.

Slowly, Loki turned away from the sorcerers and looked back at his daughter. The look on her face- it was all that he had been trying to protect her from.

"How are you here?" she asked, finally realizing that Loki was supposed to be in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.

"I'm not," he answered and she finally realized that he wasn't actually there, that he was just projecting his image because he had sensed her distress.

"Oh," whispered Mia, chest aching. He wasn't really there. She was still alone.

Loki kneeled in front of her again. "Are you well enough to follow me?"

Blinking, Mia's mind slowly processed what he was asking- if she could apparate to him- and then considered if she would be able to. "Yes."

An image appeared in her mind, gently pushed there by her father. It was of his cell, this one in an actual building in the city and not the helicarrier.

As she was standing, Mia gaze was caught by the Time Stone for a final time and one last vision played out before her eyes.

_A world of darkness. A demolished building with piles of black stone. A half-finished walkway jutting out with a strange pillar sitting in the middle of it. It was two rocks covered in inscriptions, the top stone hovering just slightly above the bottom one and she could see a sliver of red peeking out._

_It called to her, demanding to be released. It was broken, shattered- just like her- and it wanted to be whole again._

_It wanted its reality recognized._

She jerked away from vision and disappeared with a crack, leaving nothing but silence in her wake in the New York Sanctum.

Mia appeared in Loki's cell and was immediately pulled into a tight embrace.

"Are you alright?" he asked, wishing he could shield her from the horrors of whatever she'd seen as easily as he done when she was still young. But she was older now, an adult who had to face the cost of living in a cruel and cold world.

"No," she choked out, still too overwhelmed. "I saw the future. The stone showed me things, the future."

"It showed you a future," Loki corrected, pulling away so he could place his hands on her shoulders and meet her gaze. "What you saw is not necessarily what will come to pass. You cannot-"

"Can't what?" Mia interrupted, a hysterical laugh escaping her. "Can't intervene? Can't get involved? It's too late- I'm already involved. I became a part of this the moment I touched the scepter. Or maybe, it was before that. Maybe I've always been involved, from my first breath of life, my first cry."

"No," Loki growled, shaking her lightly. "This is not the design of fate or destiny. Your life is not a set path. You have a choice. You have always had a choice, and no stone is going to take that from you."

Mia shook her head frantically. "I can't. I can't. If I don't do something, you'll die. I saw you, cold and dead on the ground. And I can't let that happen, I can't lose you."

Loki's expression didn't change. He had always known that his death was a possibility but had accepted that possibility. "I may die, but I may not. Time is not set in stone. My future changes with every choice I made."

"I will not risk your life because of hopes or prayers or possibilities!"

"What is it that I have always told you?" Loki asked her gently.

Mia rubbed at the tears falling from her eyes harshly. "That it's not my job to save everyone. And if something bad happens, it's not my fault."

"People make their own choices- forge their own paths. You can't bear the burden of their decisions, for that belongs solely with themselves." Pulling her back into a hug, Loki whispered, "I love you more than I ever thought possible. If I were to die saving you, it would be something I would never regret."

She hugged him back just tightly. "Maybe you wouldn't, but I would have to live with the weight of that decision for the rest of my days and it's something I would always regret."

"It is the way of the world though- children should outlive their parents. No mother or father should have to bury their child."

And that statement brought a question that had been plaguing Mia for a while rushing to the forefront of her mind. "You're essentially immortal- your life span far outlasts a human one. Mom also doesn't seem to be aging."

He knew what she was inquiring about. "I do not know if you will age," Loki told her gently, arms tightening infinitesimally. "Your mother was human when you were born but now that you have gained her powers in addition to increasing the amount of magic you possess that my blood has gifted you… there's no way to tell this early what might happen."

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, Mia pressed her face more firmly into her father's chest. It was what she feared. She already loved Tony, Pepper, and Steve- the latter slowly becoming a possible 'more' with every day that passed- and it would be horrible to have to watch them age and wither while she stayed forever young. With that in mind, how could she even consider falling in love with someone from Earth, someone human? How could she give her heart to someone knowing that it was guaranteed to be broken?

The door flew open and Carol barged in, Hill right behind her. She walked over to Mia and gently pulled her away from Loki, hugging her tightly. "What happened?" her mother murmured.

"_An unfortunate encounter with another stone,"_ Loki answered, and it took a moment for Mia to realize that he was speaking another language.

Hill scowled at him, looking agitated. "What did you do to the cameras?" she demanded.

Loki ignored her. _"Is it done?"_

Carol pulled away from Mia and looked at the dark-haired man. _"It is, but I still don't like this."_

"_It is necessary. It's not safe to have so many stones left here."_

Mia straightened up. _"You want Thor to take the Tesseract?"_

"_Better that Asgard has to expend the effort to defend it than making you," _Carol responded.

"Alright," Hill finally snapped. "Everyone who is not a prisoner right now needs to leave."

A wave of panic swept over Mia. "No, no no no," she chanted, taking a step back towards her father. She couldn't leave him. If she left, then Thor would take him away, and then he would die and-

"It's alright," Loki tried to reassure her, forcing a smile onto his face. "Everything will be alright."

Wrapping her arm around her daughter, Carol slowly pulled Mia towards the door. "We need to get back."

She struggled to fight, to get away from her mother, but Mia was too exhausted. Using her powers and then her encounter with the stone had taken too much out of her. "Dad…"

"It's alright," he repeated. "I give you my word: everything is going to be alright."

_I love you,_ he whispered into her mind, along with it a wave of emotions.

_I love you, too, _she responded. Mia kept her gaze locked with his until she and Carol were out of the cell and Hill closed the door behind them. Sagging back into her mother's arms, Mia's eyes slipped shut and she finally let herself sink into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Frigga stood next to Heimdall, face grave. "Are you sure of what you have seen?"_

"_I am," he intoned. "Loki is far more powerful than any have given him credit for- he has kept them hidden from my gaze for many years."_

"_A daughter," Frigga murmured, tone worried. "The woman, who is she?"_

"_I am unsure. My gaze is set on only the events and people in the Nine Realms. This woman is from elsewhere."_

_Frigga's gaze turned distant. "I see. Have you informed the Allfather of this yet?"_

"_I have not." Heimdall frowned. "The prophecy regarding the child of Loki is well known throughout the realms. Should the Allfather- or any other- learn about the girl-"_

"_Prophecies are not what they seem," she told him in a voice of steel. "I shall inform the Allfather of what he needs to know."_

"_I advise you to do so quickly. It will not be long before Thor returns and tells all he meets what has occurred."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	17. Chapter 17

**(A/N): And welcome to the last installment of _It Starts With Why_!**

**... yeah, I should have given you guys more of a heads-up. My bad. THIS IS NOT THE END OF THIS STORY! I PROMISE! THIS IS JUST THE END OF THE FIRST BOOK! This is the first book in a series. The second book is going to be titled _Time Is A Valuable Thing. _Now, it will be a few weeks before I start posting the second book. I'm moving next week and I need some time to get settled and sort out some timeline issues for this next story arc. Hopefully, the fact that this is an uber-long chapter will appease you. I almost considered breaking this up but my friends talked me out of it.**

**Shoutouts to mariteri, daydreamer1119, ArmyWife22079, Hp17, Tajinprincess, Aid4, like. 56, Phoenix, aiyaiy13, Adharablack85-2, Alyxia, Sora Loves Rain, My Universe, gabytahijar, fringeperson, blu199086, noise95, MarieGT18, ABrighterDarkness, Nanyin, Elizabeth, vamp1987, Najada, KEZZ 1, FrumiousBandersnatch10, and Guests for reviewing! Can't wait to hear what you think of this chapter!**

**Alright, I feel like there are going to be so many opinions after this chapter and I'm ready for them! I'm ready to hear your thoughts and excitement/angst. Thank you all for trusting me so far and for having faith that I have a plan! Hopefully this chapter answers some questions for you- while also giving you some new ones!**

**If music is your thing, check out these songs that are basically a musical overview of what's coming in the future:**

**_A Storm Is Coming _(ft. Liv Ash) by Tommee Profitt****; ****_RISE _(ft. The Word Alive) by League of Legends; ****_My Turn Now _(ft. VĒ) by Hidden Citizens; _Unstoppable _(ft. Rånya) by Hidden Citizens; and **_**Sound of War**_** (ft. Fleurie) by Tommee Profitt****.**

**The order of that isn't important or anything- just in case you were wondering. Just the order they're in on my playlist.**

**This chapter was beta read by singingmyheartsong so all the gratitude and love to her!**

**Thank you all for reading! Keep an eye out for the next book! Enjoy!**

* * *

"_The humans," a cloaked figure hissed, standing below a turned throne. "They are not the cowering wretches we were promised. They stand. They are unruly and therefore cannot be ruled."_

_The figure standing in the throne stood and the figure hunched over in pain._

"_To challenge them, is to court Death," he continued speaking through his agony._

_Turning to face him, Thanos raised his hand and slashed it through the air. "Enough," he rumbled. "I would speak with Ronan. Bring him to me."_

* * *

When Mia woke up again, she was in her bedroom in Stark Tower. Her mother was sitting next to her on the bed, reading something on a StarkPad.

"Mom?" she muttered, mind still in the hazy place between sleep and wakefulness.

Carol looked over at her smiled slightly. "'Bout time you woke up. I was starting to worry."

It all came rushing back to her then- everything that had happened the day before with Thor and then the Time Stone. Mia sat bolt upright. "What time is it?" she asked urgently. "Where are the others?"

Setting her tablet aside, Carol sat back against the headboard. "Asleep." When Mia gave her an incredulous look, she smirked and explained, "They don't know that you collapsed. When I went out to go find you, most of them looked like they were on the verge of falling over and were finding rooms to sleep in when I was leaving. I think Tony and Steve wanted to wait up but I reminded them that you were more than capable of taking care of yourself and it would probably be awhile before you would be willing to come back. Once I got you back here, I managed to talk JARVIS into not alerting anyone about you unless you were clearly in danger."

JARVIS chimed in then. "As your vitals continued to remain stable, I thought it best to just allow you and the others to rest. Currently, everyone else located in the private levels of the tower are asleep."

"In the private levels?" she echoed, brow furrowed. "Are there others still on the lower levels?"

"There are 42 personnel's still in the tower," JARVIS answered promptly. "Most are members of the security team but a few are working on setting up relief efforts."

Mia pulled herself up to sit next to her mother. "Thank you, JARVIS. Please let me know if you need anything from me."

"I will be sure to do that, Miss Stark," JARVIS responded.

"He's very polite," Carol commented dryly. "But isn't it uncomfortable knowing that there's someone watching your every move?"

"Not really," she shrugged. "JARVIS isn't here to spy on us or anything so sinister. He protects us. I trust him with my life."

"Thank you, Miss Stark," the AI told her. "I hope to never fail to meet your expectations."

Staring up at the ceiling, Mia adopted her mother's dry tone. "I'm not sure you're really helping the issue right now but the reminder that you're always listening has been noted."

Carol gave a small laugh but then her expression melted into a serious mien. "What happened back there, kid?"

Staring down at her hands, Mia softly requested, "JARVIS, please engage privacy settings." JARVIS quietly agreed and then went silent.

After nearly a minute of Mia refusing to meet Carol's gaze, the blond finally sighed and threw her arm around Mia's shoulder and pulled her into her side. "Just talk to me. Don't worry about finding the best way to say something or trying to figure out if it'll make sense if you phrase it a certain way- just say it."

Mia took a deep breath. "When Dad came to Earth, he had the Mind Stone in his possession. It was how Thanos was controlling him. I came into contact with it and it showed me several things- including the fact that there was another stone here on Earth. I went to go find it earlier and discovered that the Time Stone is here, in New York. It also showed me... things." Curling a little further into her mother's side, Mia took another shuddery breath. "It showed me a future. I think it's the future that will come to pass unless I figure out a way to stop it."

"Why do you think you have to be the one to figure out a way to stop it?" Carol's voice was deliberately calm, body loose and relaxed.

"I don't think it has to be me, but right now, I'm the only one who knows what's going to come unless something is done." Sitting back upright, Mia pulled her knees under her and turned to look at her mother. "I haven't forgotten what you and Dad taught me- when it comes to a fight, it's less about strength and more about smarts. We can't try and just throw ourselves into Thanos' path and hope for the best. We have to be smarter than that."

The look of pride Carol gave Mia made her feel warm inside. "I take it you've got an idea?"

She nodded. "The stones are the key. If we can get to them before Thanos does, we can make it easier to defeat him. We take the stones, we lay a trap for him, and then we wipe him out. Though, when I say 'we', I mostly mean you."

Carol grinned. "I'm liking this plan more already. What do you need me to do?"

"The Time Stone showed me an image where one of the stones is- the Reality Stone, to be exact. It's not on Earth so you'll need to be the one to locate and retrieve it. You'll have to find a cannister for it though because it's been turned into some sort of dust." Mia's voice grew stronger the more she talked, her confidence growing as her mother listened closely to her instructions. "I also think the stone showed me where another stone is. Or, at least, where it will be in the future. To find it though, you'll need to search for a group that call themselves the Guardians of the Galaxy. Have you heard of them?"

"No," Carol frowned. "If the Time Stone showed you where another stone will be in the future, is it possible that the group is also from the future? If they were around now, I would have heard of them."

"It's possible. I'll show you the scene I was given later. Hopefully you'll be able to spot something useful. It was only a snippet though- most of what I saw were just brief moments in time."

Tilting her head slightly to the side, Carol asked, "Most? If some scenes were longer than others, it could mean that they're more important at this point than others."

The pain from before reappeared in Mia's chest and on her face. "The first thing I was shown was a man and a woman- they're twins, but I don't know how I know that- and they were strapped down to tables. They looked like they were in so much pain. Then, everything shifted and they were standing on a street with powers. The man moved impossibly fast and the woman was using something that looked similar to magic but wasn't. They..." Mia trailed off, struggling to find the words.

"Don't think," Carol reminded her. "Just speak."

Mia stared up at the ceiling. "They matter. I don't know how or why, but they do and it hurts that they're not here right now. I miss them so much and it makes no sense because I don't even know who they are. How can I miss people that I haven't even met? Why does it hurt?"

Carol was concerned now. "Could the stone have provoked a bond between you and them? Or, if you have one in the future, made it so that it was formed sooner with you so that you would go find them?"

"There was another person," Mia admitted softly. "Another man. He was fighting Steve on a bridge somewhere I didn't recognize. He was dressed all in black and was almost as strong and as fast as Steve. At first, I thought he was an enemy, but then I saw him in what looked like a vault sitting in a strange looking chair. He was saying how he recognized someone and then another man hit him before ordering someone I couldn't see to wipe the man."

"His memory was erased," Carol sighed.

Nodding in agreement, Mia continued, "I think he was talking about Steve. That he knew Steve and they punished him for remembering. If your memory was erased though, would you remember someone that you didn't know all that much?"

Frowning, Carol slowly answered, "No..." and then she understood what Mia was getting at. "The only people who Steve has had any real interactions with are you and Tony, right?" At the surprise that flittered across her daughter's face, Carol smiled wryly. "We got to talking a bit after you ran off."

"Oh." Mia grimaced slightly before pushing forward. "Yes, we are really the only ones, along with Pepper who is Tony's girlfriend, that Steve has spent time with. But whoever this man was, I didn't recognize him. I couldn't see his face clearly though, but I'm positive I've never met him."

"If Steve is important enough to this guy for him to recognize after having his memory erased, then it must be someone from Steve's past," Carol pointed out reasonably. "From before he met you."

"Someone who was born at the same time as Steve but has somehow managed to stay young all these years," Mia murmured.

"Seems like our next steps are pretty simple then." When Mia just gave her a questioning look, Carol smiled gently and reached out to take her hand. "I'm going to go find the other stones before Thanos does. And you are going to stay here and find your people. You find them, protect them until you can show them how to protect themselves, and stop anyone who gets in your way. What I want to know is: what are you going to tell the others?" At the sight of her daughter's frown, Carol realized, "You don't plan to tell them."

Mia bit her lip. "No," she finally stated. "I don't." Before Carol could ask why, Mia was already explaining. "You've met them. It doesn't take much time to see that they are... they're... the most Gryffindor of Gryffindors! They charge recklessly into thing- Steve and Tony would prefer to just take their enemies head-on than play games in the shadows. This isn't the time for being brave and bold; this is the time for us to keep our heads down. We make our enemies underestimate us until it's too late."

"And how do you plan on hiding what you're doing from them?"

"By keeping them focused on the other things I'm doing. By being Mia Stark: advocate for the Avengers and anyone out there in the world with strange or unique abilities. Who travels around the world to help people in need using the Stark Foundation. By being Hermione Granger: fighter of all injustices in the Wizarding World. I'll keep them so focused on what I'm doing in the light that they'll miss what I'm doing in the shadows."

Carol stared at her a moment before sighing. "You are so much like your father sometimes. But, don't forget that you're my daughter too. I'm not much for sneaking around and playing the long game- I face my enemies head-on and I never back down. There is a time for being brave, just like there is a time for being subtle. Make sure you figure out when you should be doing which."

* * *

It had taken over a day, but Thor finally managed to corner Mia. Carol had gone to speak with Fury, though Mia knew that there was far more threatening going on than anything else. Tony and Pepper were holed up in their rooms doing things that Mia wanted to know nothing about, Steve was in Mia's suite dodging all calls from S.H.I.E.L.D. and waiting for her to stop avoiding him, Bruce was still asleep to her knowledge, and she honestly had no idea where Clint and Natasha were.

"You are difficult to find, Niece," Thor greeted her as he stopped in front of her in the temporary kitchen that had been chosen for the Tower's residents to use while the renovations were being done.

"Clearly not difficult enough," Mia sighed as she put her mug of tea on the counter, knowing that she couldn't keep running from this anymore.

Thor didn't seem to notice her discomfort. "Tomorrow, my brother and I leave for Asgard. As his daughter, a Princess of our kingdom, it is your birthright to join us."

Mia laughed, a short bitter thing. "My birthright? How glorious you make it sound, how simple. It's not though, is it? My father was never truly considered a Prince by your father. He was nothing more than a political pawn to be hopefully found useful in the future. Odin may have called him son, but all he gave his supposed son was a life in the shadows, forever trying to be good enough and constantly reminded that he never would be. Never bold enough, never brave enough, never strong enough, never anything when compared to the glory of Thor."

Eyes widened in surprise, Thor said, "I know not what my brother has told you-"

"My father told me as little about his family as he possibly could, and that single thing told me all I needed to know. He constantly pushed me, preached to me the benefits of control and why it was best to always hide your emotions so that they could not be used against you. And do you know why he thought that?" Mia took a step forward so that she was standing right in front of Thor. "Because of you and your father. Because of your people. Because anytime he showed any emotion, he was ridiculed for it and taunted for how weak he was to _feel_. Nothing was ever good enough for you. He had an aptitude for magic- how weak Loki is for being gifted with such a woman's art. He wasn't as strong as you- what a pathetic warrior he is for looking different than you. He wanted to strategize before a battle rather than charging in recklessly- how cowardly.

"My father never wanted me to set foot on Asgard and do you want to know why? It was because, by the end of the everything, Asgard wasn't truly a home to him anymore but a hell he was trying to escape from."

The agonized look on Thor's face brought Mia up short. Despite everything, it was clear that Thor did love Loki and Loki loved Thor. They were brothers. And here she was, lashing out and purposefully trying to hurt Thor because she was in pain and wasn't handling it well.

"I'm sorry," Mia whispered, stumbling back a step. "I'm so sorry. That was completely uncalled for and I shouldn't have said it." She took a deep breath and stared down at her feet. "I… Dad loves you, he absolutely does. You're his brother and he thinks the world of you. I know you're not a bad person, I really do. But right now, I can't think of you as family. Right now, you're just the man who's going to take my father away from me and throw him in a cell for something that wasn't even his fault just after I got him back. And I can't be okay with that or with you because by this time tomorrow, he'll be gone, and you'll be the reason why."

And with that, Mia spun around and hurried off, sure that she would rather face Steve and admit to him what she had done than spend another moment with Thor.

* * *

When the elevator doors opened to the sight of Steve, Bruce, and Tony sitting in her apartment's living room, Mia realized that she had been mistaken. Before she could close the elevator doors again, Steve spotted her and sprung up from the couch. "Hermione!" he greeted her with a smile, which instantly dropped when he saw her red-rimmed eyes. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"What are you all doing here?" she asked in lieu of answering.

Tony also stood up and walked over to her, casually throwing his arm around her shoulder and guiding her to the couch. "Clint told us that you needed to talk to us about whatever is making you act all weird."

Mia visibly flinched and Tony's arm tightened around her.

"Is something wrong?" Bruce asked gently, giving her an encouraging expression. "It's just us here- there's nothing to be nervous about."

She felt like she couldn't breathe as Tony pushed her down onto the couch. "I…" She couldn't believe that Clint had done this. He should be too busy dealing with his own issues to concern himself with hers.

Steve sat down on the other side of her and took her hand in his. "What's going on?"

Squeezing his hand as tightly as possible, Mia started to speak with a shaky voice. "Remember when I was unconscious after I touched the scepter?"

"Yes," Bruce answered before Tony could make a snarky remark. "You were able to communicate with Clint."

Nodding, Mia did her best not to look at any of the men. "I did, but that's not all that happened. The stone on the scepter, it's called the Mind Stone. Its powers aren't just limited to controlling minds though, it can also be used in a variety of different ways."

Shifting closer, Steve attempted meet Mia's gaze. "What else happened while you were in there?"

The truth spilled out of her before she could stop it. "I saw your memories."

Mia could feel the way Tony and Steve tensed next to her and turning her head, she spotted the shuttered look on Bruce's face. She pulled her hand out of Steve's and covered her face, hunching over slightly. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to- it was an accident. I didn't… I watched the security videos in order to try and understand what happened and I think that when you touched me it triggered something and I was in one of your memories but it was only one memory and… I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to."

It just about broke Tony's heart to hear her so sad and hysterical. He didn't blame her for what happened- though he wasn't totally sure what had. Mia may have been kind-of raised by Loki, but the silver tongue gene, or whatever, wasn't a thing for her. Just because she was his baby sister and he adored her didn't mean that he did 'feelings' though.

Leaning back into the couch and setting his feet on the coffee table, Tony asked, "What memory?"

Jerking upright, Mia turned to look at him and the tears in her eyes made his stomach clench. "What?"

"What memory did the stone show you? Wait, you were in one of our memories?" Tony repeated. "Like, you were us? That's not great. Not gonna lie, there are few things I wouldn't be okay with you seeing. Like if you got a memory of any sexy times, I think that would be the end of our relationship. There would be no getting past that."

She huffed a small laugh. "I absolutely agree. There would be no recovering from that amount of scarring." Mia's expression turned serious as she told Tony, "I saw Yinsen."

Tony froze, a wave of memories and emotions washing over him. "Which memory?" he asked softly, terrified that Mia had experienced being tortured. If she had to suffer being tortured because of him…

"The end. When you were escaping and when he…" Mia trailed off, choking back her tears. It hurt still, remembering Tony's pain at losing the older man.

His breath rushed out of him. "Oh." Tony wondered when she had seen that memory. Was it when she was crying in her sleep? He had wanted to cry when Yinsen died. Had wanted to rage and scream at the world at the fact that someone good like Yinsen had died while the waste that Tony was lived. It wasn't fair.

Mia had sat up on her knees and took Tony's face in her hands. "It wasn't fair that he died," she echoed. "It wasn't. And that pain will always be there, but Yinsen deserves your thanks far more than your guilt, Tony. He knew you were worth saving, that you could do great things, and he was absolutely right. No matter what you may think, Tony, you are a good man and I will always be so grateful that you let me be a part of your life. Meeting you… you're one of the best things to ever happen to me."

Tony blinked back his tears and cleared his throat as he looked at Mia. "You too, kid."

She scanned his face closely for a moment, wanting to be sure that he had actually heard what she'd said, before sitting back. "Should I stop with the emotions now?" Mia asked, with a small but genuine smile.

"God, yes," Tony answered, shoving her lightly backwards so she'd fall into Steve. "Go confess your sins to the paradigm of truth and justice."

Her entire body tensed, something Steve could easily feel since she was practically in his lap. He froze, wrestling with the decision of whether or not he actually wanted to know what she had seen. If it had been a good memory, something from one of the happier times in his life, Hermione probably wouldn't feel so tense. He had so many terrible memories though, so which one had she been forced to live through?

"Mia," Bruce said hesitantly, drawing their attention to him. "When you were in one of my memories... was it mine? Or was it...?"

Pulling away slightly from Steve, Mia did her best to focus all her attention on Bruce and not on the pain in Steve's eyes. "Both," she finally answered after a long moment. "I- or you, rather- were in a helicopter and then falling down into a city street. When you got up again, you were the Hulk and facing off against a creature I've never seen before."

Bruce paled slightly and his shoulders hunched inwards. "So, you were the Other Guy. You experienced him for yourself."

"I did. And that's how I can say with confidence that he's not a monster." Slowly reaching out her hand so as not to startle him, Mia covered his hand with her own. "Hulk is not an unthinking, unfeeling monster. He doesn't hurt people just because he can or because he enjoys it. His thought process may not be as… sophisticated as your own, but it's still there. The less you trust him though, the more he'll fight against you."

"You had him in your head for a few minutes. I've lived with him for years." Bruce slowly shook his head. "I know better than you just what the Other Guy is."

"Have you ever thought that perhaps you're just too close to the situation to see the truth?" Mia countered gently. "You had so many other people calling him a monster, you feared him because you've spent all of your life carefully trying to control every aspect of yourself and then lost it all in a matter of seconds, and it was easy to label him as something as simple as a 'monster' rather than work out for yourself what the actual truth might be."

Bruce gave a small huff. "And what if you're wrong? What if we try things your way and things go wrong?"

Mia smiled. "I believe you have mistaken me for Tony- I'm not suggesting that you immediately start letting the Hulk out without a care. All I want is for you to change your mind-set a little- to realize that Hulk coming out isn't the end of the world. That's all."

When Bruce looked at her then, really looked at her, it felt to Mia as though he was searching down into her soul. It was the look of someone who'd been toyed with and manipulated so many times that he'd been taught to always expect the hidden dagger in a helping hand. Automatically, Mia felt herself want to hide, to close off any and all emotions appearing on her face. She fought that impulse though, knowing that doing so would cause Bruce to mirror her response. Mia did her best to all her trust, faith, admiration, and affection appear in her eyes, open and honest for Bruce to see.

Whether or not he could see it, she wasn't sure, but whatever he did see made him relax. Turning his hand over so that he could link his fingers with hers, Bruce said, "I'll think about it."

It was the most she could ask for. "Anytime you want to talk, I'll always be willing to lend an ear. I'll even make sure Tony can't eavesdrop if he's in the mood to do so."

"Hey!" Tony complained. "I'm your brother; shouldn't your loyalty primarily lie with me?"

"No," Mia told him flatly. "I know you're still plotting your revenge because I conspired with Pepper to get you to go to that benefit."

"That was a dirty trick," he pointed out, eyes flickering between the strain in Roger's eyes and the small amount of space his sister kept between them. "One bad turn deserves another and all that."

Bruce frowned. "I don't think that's the line."

Tony jumped to his feet. "Doesn't matter. Now, it's time I show you the labs, Mr. Green. You're going to love them."

It took a moment for Bruce to realize that Tony was trying to give Rogers and Mia a moment alone to talk. He was surprised at how sensitive Tony was acting at that moment and then he felt a bit ashamed. Tony wasn't a bad guy and it was clear that he adored his younger sister. He may show the rest of the world an arrogant, self-absorbed countenance, but he would never treat Mia that way.

"Sure." Bruce stood up and started walking to the elevator with Tony. "I wouldn't mind seeing just how much unnecessary crap you keep in your lab."

"Why are you like this? I mean really, were you always this rude or did your time on the run just strip you of all common decencies?"

"If it had, there would be as many nude photos of me running around as there are of you."

Steve and Mia watched them leave in silence. Once the elevator doors had closed, Steve turned to look at Hermione. She kept her gaze locked on the elevators, desperately trying to push down all the emotions that were attempting to spill out of her.

She couldn't do this. She didn't want to have this conversation.

"Hermione," Steve said, voice low and soft. "Look at me."

Hermione shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut tight.

His hands came up to cup her face. "Please," he breathed.

"When did you get to be so smooth?" she attempted to tease. Hermione knew it wouldn't do any good, but she would do whatever she could to stop this fall before they reached the point of no return.

"Please, Hermione, what did you see?"

Her hands came up to cover his. "I saw Bucky."

Steve froze, his hands tensing against her face. "You saw Bucky?" he repeated. "You mean you saw him..."

She finally opened her eyes. "It wasn't your fault, Steve." The agony on his face caused an ache to grow in her chest. "It was an accident."

"Stop, Hermione," he finally choked out, ripping his hands away from her and standing. "We've already had this conversation. Stop repeating crap that ain't true."

Hermione stood up too. "How is it not true?" she demanded. "You didn't push him off the train car. You didn't let him go. Steve," Hermione stated firmly, moving to stand directly in front of him. "Look at me." After a long moment, his blue eyes finally locked with her brown ones. "You did not let him go," she repeated. "You lost Bucky. It hurts, it will always hurt, but it was an accident. It was not your fault and you cannot cling to your guilt."

"If it wasn't for me, he never would have been there," Steve rasped. "Bucky could have stayed behind, could have lived and gotten married, had a family and a good life. Instead, he died. He died because, even after all this," Steve waved a hand over his large frame, "I still wasn't good enough to be able to save myself."

Shaking her head, Hermione told him, "No, Steve. Bucky didn't go with you because he thought you couldn't look after yourself or any of that rubbish. He went with you because he wanted you to live. You told me what it was like for you growing up- always sickly and at Death's door- and that was the Steve that Bucky left behind when he became a soldier. But then, when he found you again, your outside matched your insides, matched that inner-strength that Bucky had seen every day. Imagine how happy he must have been, knowing that he didn't have to worry with every coming winter that it might be your last.

"Steve, Bucky didn't go with you because he was worried you would die. Bucky went with you because he wanted to see you _live. _He wanted to see you show the world how wrong they were to underestimate you in the first place, because not once did Bucky ever do so."

"How is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"It's not," she admitted. "Not right now, at any rate. But hopefully, one day you'll stop feeling so… unhappy that he saved you. Hopefully you'll find something that will make you feel like there are things worth living for."

Steve swallowed. "What if I already have?" When Hermione's eyes widened, Steve boldly lifted a hand to her cheek and traced her jawline with his thumb. "Hermione…"

"Steve," she whispered, leaning into his touch for only a moment before pulling away. "I can't do this."

His hand dropped to his side. "Why? Do you not…"

"I do, Steve," Hermione immediately told him. "I care about you."

"Then why?"

Hermione stared out the window, eyes distant. "Because it won't work for us. Because there is no happy ending for us, and you of all people deserve to have a chance at one."

Frowning, Steve asked, "Why do you think it'll end badly?"

Taking a deep breath, Hermione decided to tell him part of the truth. "My father is Asgardian and my mother is half-human, half-alien and hasn't aged a day in decades. The chances of my having a normal human life span is miniscule."

He understood what she was trying to say. "I don't care about any of that. For all we know, I'm not going to age normally either. I think you're worth taking that risk for- that we're worth taking the risk."

"Why haven't you gone to visit Peggy?" Hermione asked abruptly and Steve flinched.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"You know exactly what that has to do with this. Answer me honestly: why haven't you tried to see her?"

Steve floundered for a moment. "I… it's been over 70 years. She's lived her life. All I am now is a remnant of her past."

Hermione shook her head. "That's part of it, but that's not all of it and you know it. You don't want to see her because it will be too hard to see the vibrant young woman you remember old now. Don't you see, Steve?" Hermione looked back at him, eyes imploring him to understand. "That'll be us. If we do this, that's how it'll end for us. If one of us isn't killed sooner, then it'll be me standing by and watching you die."

Even though he knew she was right, it hurt Steve to hear her say that. "You're saying that it wouldn't be worth it? That being with me wouldn't be worth the pain, in this eventuality you're not even sure will happen? If it were the opposite, if I was going to outlive you, then I would still want to take this chance because I know you're worth it."

"Would you?" she asked softly. "The loss of your past- of Bucky and Peggy- still hurt you to this day. Would you really want to invite more pain into your life? Is that part of the appeal of me now? The knowledge that I'm more durable than even you are? That I won't leave you?"

Reeling backwards, Steve stared with wide eyes. "Wow, had no idea you had such a low opinion of me."

A sob escaped from Hermione before she could stop it. "No, Steve, I think you're one of the best men I know. But I saw your memory. I saw Bucky fall and I saw you set that plane down into the ocean. I was you- I could feel how much you cared. You loved Bucky and, even though you were well on your way to falling in love with Peggy, you couldn't see past your pain at the loss of your best friend. And that pain has haunted you to this day."

Stumbling back a few steps towards the elevator, Hermione continued. "You are such a good person, Steve. You're amazing and I'm… me. I'm not a good person, Steve. In another world where we weren't different from others, someone like you would never want someone like me. But in this world, I'm safe and stable. I'll never be the one to leave you and that's what attracts you to me."

Steve's pain had turned into confusion. He couldn't understand what Hermione was saying. At first, she made it sound like he was just… using her or something but now she was talking like she somehow was the one not good enough for him. She was talking so fast that he couldn't even process exactly what she was trying to say. "You think you're not good enough for me?" he repeated slowly, his mind trying to wrap itself around that idea.

The elevator doors dinged open. "Of course I'm not. You're all goodness and standing for what you think is right and never backing down. I'm the daughter of the God of Tricks and Lies. I see the gray spaces in everything and care only about the final outcome I want to achieve and nothing about how I get there." Hermione stepped into the elevator. "All I'll do is taint you. I'll stain you with the blood on my hands and turn your world just as gray as mine. And I can't do that, Steve. I'm sorry, but I can't."

The doors closed before he could say anything.

Steve stared at his reflection is the steel surface Hermione had disappeared behind. "None of that makes me the better person," he stated blankly to the empty room. "None of that even made sense."

"Indeed, Captain Rogers," came JARVIS' voice and Steve jumped. "Sir would like you to come up to his labs; he'd like a word."

* * *

"Is Central Park really the best place to do this?" Bruce muttered as they walked as a group to a footbridge. Mia didn't respond, just folded her arms across her chest and ducked her head.

She had been quiet for most of the morning, just watched with shielded eyes as the group rushed around and prepared for Thor and Loki's return to Asgard. Whenever someone tried to engage her in conversation, her responses had been limited to a few words at most. Carol had stayed by her side the entire time, a quiet pillar of support for her daughter. The only time Mia had seemed to relax at all was when Loki and Thor arrived at the park, though that relief was quickly replaced by rage as she took in the sight of her father chained and muzzled. When Thor had moved to say something to her, she had stopped him in his tracks with a look.

As Tony, Selvig, and Thor began to prepare the Tesseract for transport, Mia hurried to her father's side. "Is the muzzle really necessary?" she demanded, reaching up to touch the side of Loki's face.

"He was making a few of the agents uncomfortable," Phil answered, standing off to the side with Natasha and Clint.

"Then perhaps you should find agents with stronger spines," Mia muttered.

Reaching out to touch her father's mind, she asked, _Are you sure about this?_

_I am. Worry not, everything will be fine._

Mia rolled her eyes. _Your optimism is respectable yet rings untrue. One word is all it would take._

Loki shook his head and the Thor stepped forward. "It is time."

Clenching her jaw, Mia slowly stepped away from her father.

Thor looked at Mia, seeming pained her refusal to even look at him. "It is not too late to change your mind."

For the first time that day, Mia finally looked at Thor. "Yes, it is. I'm not going to Asgard, and that decision won't change anytime in the near future. Also, just so we are very clear, if you or anyone decides to try and bring me to Asgard by force, it will end very badly for you. I'm done playing games- I'll kill anyone who tries to take me, and I'll send them back to you in pieces."

"And I'll help her," Carol added, leveling a dark look at Thor.

"Hey," Tony complained. "I'm the older brother- it's my job to be threatening."

Before Carol could snap at Tony- something that had been happening frequently the last few days since neither seemed able to be able to get along with the other- Steve asked, "Where's the scepter? Isn't that also being taken back to Asgard?"

"The scepter is currently in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody," Phil answered. "Once we can actually touch it, we hope to be able to understand more of its capabilities."

"Once you can touch it?" Natasha repeated.

Phil glanced over at Mia. "Apparently there's some sort of… curse on it. Anyone who touches it dies. We've lost several agents and scientists already."

Steve stared at the mild-mannered agent in shock. "I touched it before when I gave it to Rumlow and nothing happened to me."

The group turned to look at Mia. Even Loki had his eyebrows raised in surprise. "What?" she shrugged. "I just wanted to ensure that it didn't fall into unworthy hands."

Natasha folded her arms over her chest. "So, only people you approve of can touch it?"

Mia gave the woman an unimpressed look. "I told you all before that the stone in the scepter is sentient. All I did was give it the power to decide who should be allowed to handle it. If it deems you worthy of picking it up, you will be able to hold it without any issues. If, however, it doesn't want you holding it then it… makes it wishes known. I take no responsibility for the fact that the agents who tried to hold it just weren't worthy."

"So, the spells are tied to the stone, not you?" Clint verified, a strange look in his eyes.

"Bold move," Carol murmured to her daughter.

"Fortune favors the bold," she quipped back.

"Does it though?" Tony mused. "I feel like most people ended up dying early and tragically?"

Bruce shrugged. "But they're still remembered after death so that's something."

"We should probably move this along before someone notices us," Selvig finally broke in, handing Thor the glass container holding the Tesseract.

"Yes, of course," the Asgardian agreed. Turning to look the group over, he said, "Until we meet again." Looking directly at Mia again, he vowed, "We will see one another again."

"I'm sure we will," Mia told him coolly. "Hopefully, circumstances won't involve you doing something I disagree with, but I highly doubt it."

Stepping backwards, she watched as Thor held out one end of the cannister to Loki, who stared at it for a long moment for glancing over towards Mia.

_There's something you should know._

And then, her father gave her a piece of information that she would never have expected. One that forced Mia to change all the plans that had started to form in her head over the last day or so.

With a flash, they were gone, leaving Mia staring in horrified silence at where Loki once stood.

* * *

The mood at the tower once everyone had arrived back was quieter than most would have expected. While there was some relief at the knowledge that Loki and Tesseract were no longer on Earth- meaning that the fight was truly over- everyone was also aware that Mia was feeling far from celebratory.

Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Steve, Mia, and Carol sat together in the living room. The conversation had been kept deliberately light and easy, no one wanting to touch on any subjects that could cause an argument to break out.

"Now that it's just us," Tony began out of the blue, leaning back in his seat and throwing an arm around Pepper. "I have to ask: how did this," he waved an arm between Mia and Carol, who were sitting together on the couch with Steve slumped next to Mia, "happen?"

Mia blinked at him. "What do you mean? Are you asking how I came to be? Am I the 'this' you're referring to? I must say, I'm surprised you have to ask considering you've had quite a bit of practice in-"

"Nope," Tony interrupted. "You are not the 'this'. Already made the mistake of asking that question while you weren't around and was scarred for life."

"Shouldn't have asked if you didn't want to know," Carol stated, smirking slightly.

"Then what were you asking?" Steve interjected, hoping to keep the conversation from spiraling.

"I'm talking about your powers. Carol was a normal human when she had you, right? If that's the case, how were you able to inherit her powers?"

Sighing, Mia muttered, "I had hoped to skip this conversation but alright." She turned to Carol and gave her an expectant look.

Carol raised an eyebrow at her. "You should be the one to explain- you're the magic user."

Mia's jaw dropped. "So? You're the one who actually participated in the ritual. I was a little too unconscious at the time to be able to see for myself what happened."

"Right," Carol scoffed playfully. "As though you didn't have an in-depth discussion with Loki about it immediately after learning what had happened."

"Yes, a conversation about the magic of it! I can explain the magic of it, but I don't know to explain it to… actual people."

Tony looked over at Pepper. "Should we be offended or should people who understand magic be offended?"

Pepper thought about it for a moment. "Magical people should be offended," she finally decided. "She's saying that they're not actual people."

"This is starting to feel kind of personal now," Bruce teased. "How would I be qualified?"

Groaning, Mia demanded, "Why are you like this?"

"Because none of us were socialized properly as kids," the older man immediately responded.

"That is actually a legitimate reason," Pepper pointed out.

"We are also still waiting impatiently for an answer," Tony reminded.

"I'm not," chimed Pepper, leaning her head on Tony's shoulder. "I honestly don't care."

Tony stared at her. "Seriously?"

Meeting his stare head-on, Pepper asked, "Why are you so eager to know?"

Attempting appear innocent, Tony answered, "I just want to understand."

"You say that, yet we all know that it's because you're thinking of doing something stupid. Your forbidden from doing something stupid, Tony."

"She's the one who flew through a space portal!" he shot back dramatically, pointing at Mia. "She's the one doing stupid things."

"She's not fully human," Carol responded before Pepper could. "Mia could stay out in space for an indeterminate amount of time without any trouble. You'd be dead within moments."

"It would be helpful to know more about your genetic makeup, Mia," Bruce spoke up again, giving the brunette an apologetic look. "Just in case something happens in the future. We know you're part Asgardian, but what all did you inherent from Carol?"

"Well, she got my hair, my eyes, my ability to fly, shot photon blasts out of her hands, and she's basically indestructible," listed Carol. "There may be a few more I forgot to mention."

"But how?" wheedled Tony.

Mia sighed and finally gave in. "Thor told you about the ritual that was used to save me- to turn back my mind to a point where everything was still intact. What he didn't mention was that, just like the Asgardian form is more evolved than humans, so are their minds- their more durable than us in every way. My mind was shattered from the torture and even though I was half-Loki, it wasn't going to be enough to save me. He completed a secondary ritual in addition to the mind one that would bind us more fully or essentially give me more of his abilities. When that wasn't enough, he found Mom."

Carol picked up the story then. "I was fully human when I had Mia but by the time Loki came to me, I wasn't. I had previously served in the United States Air Force and during my time with them, I had unknowingly become involved with an experiment involving the Tesseract. An alien species called the Kree came to Earth to take the Tesseract and in the fight with them, I absorbed the energy of the cube. My body couldn't handle that much power though and I was dying, so the Kree took me back to their planet and turned me part-Kree so that I could be their living weapon on their quest to conquer the universe."

Her voice had grown cold as she spoke. "I had forgotten everything about my past in that explosion- I didn't even remember my own name. It took years, but I eventually managed to break free of their control and was traveling the universe, helping planets to escape from Kree control. I had no idea what was happening on Earth until Loki found me and told me what had happened to Mia. The gist of his explanation was the Mia was going to die unless I helped him save her. He had given as much of his power as he could, but it wasn't going to be enough to compensate for all the 'Midgardian' I had infested her with."

"Charming," Bruce snorted.

Lips twitching slightly, Carol continued. "The only problem was, technically speaking, I was no longer Mia's biological mother. My DNA had changed beyond the point of recognition first when I absorbed the power of the Tesseract and then when I became Kree. On a cellular level, I was no longer the Carol Danvers who gave birth to Mia."

Bruce's eyes were lit up as his mind processed all the new information. "Makes sense. No human would be able to handle the amount of energy we saw Mia expending while in flight, or the strength to push a nuclear weapon off its course and send it through a portal. Tony might have been able to move the weapon in the suit, but he would never have been able to move that fast." Tony scowled at that but didn't argue.

Mia slipped her hand into her mother's. "In the Magical World, there is something called a Blood Adoption. It's exactly what it sounds like- someone who wishes to adopt a child can use magic to bind a child to their bloodline, making them their biological child. It has fallen to the wayside in Magical Britain in recent centuries because if a child's magical core isn't strong enough to withstand the magical invading their bodies and changing them on a cellular level, they'll die. I believe that the government actually tried to ban them because it was too much of a risk since there are so few magical children being born now.

"There is a more sophisticated version of this spell on Asgard and Loki's plan was rather genius in its simplicity- cast the Blood Adoption Ritual so that Mom and I would once more be bonded together, and I would be given her advanced healing abilities and her durability. There was no doubt I would be able to survive the ritual because I was already half-Asgardian and because my magic would recognize Carol as my mother, even if she technically no longer was. Originally, they thought I would just gain her advanced physical and mental durability, not her powers but…" Mia shrugged. "Magic does what it will."

"Seriously?" Tony gaped at her. "That's it? You're just going to brush it off that easily? Don't you want to know for sure what happened?"

Resting her head on her mother's shoulder, Mia sighed. "Don't I have enough to concern myself with, Tony? At the end of the day, the why isn't that important. This was a one-time occurrence; my mother isn't going to be doing another Blood Adoption and I'm certainly not planning on completing one. I also don't plan on letting you run any tests to see if you can figure it out."

"But-"

"No, Tony. Some things are better left unknown. This is one of them."

* * *

A few hours later, Carol had decided it was time for her to go. In an attempt to give them as much privacy as possible, Bruce, Tony, Steve, and Pepper had said goodbye to the blond hero inside the tower so that she and Mia could have a moment of privacy on the roof.

Carol stopped by the remnants of the machine that had been used to open the portal and turned to pull her daughter into a tight hug. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer," she murmured.

Mia hugged her back just as fiercely. "It's alright, I understand. Besides, it's somewhat my fault you're leaving so soon."

Pulling back, Carol shook her head. "Even if you hadn't brought up the need to find the other stones, I wouldn't have been able to hang around for too much longer."

"There's a lot of other planets and galaxies out there in need of saving," Mia said with a small, forced smile.

"You know you're still my number one priority, right?"

Blinking away her tears, Mia sought to reassure her mother. "I know." Taking her mother's hand, Mia squeezed it tightly. "I need to show you what I saw before you go."

Carol nodded and Mia linked their minds together, quickly showing her what she needed to see. A gloomy world with a stone pillar that covered the glowing red dust and then a purple cloud enveloping the so-called 'Guardians of the Galaxy'. Mia then quickly pulled her mind away before her mother could see anything else.

At the sight of the frown on her mother's face, Mia asked, "What's wrong?"

"That voice," Carol muttered, mind racing. "The one asking 'how'. I know it. I can't remember exactly who's it is though."

Mia perked up slightly. "If you could remember who it is, you may be able to find the Guardians and the stone." Reaching into her pocket, Mia pulled out a small cloth bag and handed it to her mother.

Carefully pulling it open, Carol raised an eyebrow at its contents. "You really are good with that Extension Charm." She looked up at her daughter. "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"When you find the Guardians, give this to them."

"Not going to tell me what this is about?" Mia shook her head and Carol smiled slightly. "Of course not. Well, don't forget the gift I left for you; I see you haven't touched it yet."

Frowning, Mia tried to remember what her mother was talking about. When she finally did, her eyes lit up. Turning to the side, Mia lifted her hand up and a hole lit up in mid-air. It was one of the Loki's creations- pockets in space and time where they could leave things for one another to retrieve. It could only hold inanimate objects, but it would be very useful to have with all of them spread out across the galaxy.

Reaching her hand inside, Mia grasped something soft and cool to the touch. Pulling it out carefully, she gasped. The jacket unfolded itself as she carefully shook it out, revealing a familiar brown leather jacket, Air Force insignia gleaming in the artificial lights on the roof.

"Something to remember me by," Carol reminded her softly. "No matter what, Mia, you're not alone. And you never will be."

Long after her mother had disappeared from her sight, Mia still stood on the roof, staring up at the hazy night sky.

Just when she thought things might finally settle down again for a bit, life stepped in to knock her down and then keep on kicking. First finding her parents again only to have them leave again, then the Time Stone and all the horrors that awaited her, and now her father's parting message.

_HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D._

Of all the things he could have told her, Mia had expected that the least.

It seemed that one of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents that Loki had taken control of was actually HYDRA and her father had learned as much as he could about their current operations before killing the man and dumping his body.

This complication was the last thing she needed right then.

Her mom thought she had forgotten how to be brave and bold. Thought that Mia was holding back the truth from everyone because she wanted to be able to work in the shadows without anyone standing in the way. While that may have been partially why she was holding her tongue, it wasn't the full reason.

If she told Steve and Tony anything, she would have to tell them everything. Mia hadn't even been able to bring herself to tell her parents the truth- she certainly wasn't going to tell them.

_We don't get to choose our time._

Yes, she got the message.

_Death is what gives life meaning._

All her other visions had been about terrible things that would come or were related to Thanos. One was different though. A conversation between the Ancient One and a man she didn't know but who looked a little like Tony. That conversation wasn't something Mia needed to fix or change- it was a message the stone thought she needed to know.

_It isn't about you._

She had meant what she had told her mother; she knew she wasn't necessarily the one who needed to defeat Thanos. Her parents were worried that people who heard the prophecy would think Mia would need to face Thanos and deal the killing blow herself in order to stop him. Mia didn't think that was the case though, and it seemed the stone agreed with her.

_It isn't about you._

This wasn't about her. She wasn't the one who was at the center of these events. None of this was about saving her- it was about saving others.

Mia thought about the silver-haired man who had been aiming a gun future-Mia's head.

_It's not fair. It shouldn't have to be you, but it is._

The way that was phrased... it sounded as though Mia had been the one to decide. To hand the man a gun and have him point it at her head. And there was only one reason why Mia would do such a thing.

_Death is what gives life meaning. To know your days are numbered. Your time is short._

Maybe her father was right that the future was ever changing. That what she saw could change in a split second. That he wasn't fated to die.

Maybe she wasn't fated to either.

But, what if he wasn't completely right? What if his fate could be changed, but hers couldn't?

Or, what if making sure that he lived was the thing that ensured that she would die?

Everything came with a price. But if her death was what it cost to save someone she loved, then Mia would gladly pay it.

She wasn't going to drag any of her family down with her though. If she was going to do this, then she would do it alone.

Before any of that could be dealt with though, she needed to defeat the threat closest to home.

_HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D._

Had HYDRA been a part of S.H.I.E.L.D. all along? If so, then they were playing a long game. Eventually they would make their move but in order to do so, they would have to eliminate any threats that would oppose them. Steve, Tony, Pepper, Bruce, Clint, Natasha, Phil- they would be at the top of the list.

The solution was simple then: Mia would destroy them first. It would be more difficult to try and accomplish this alone, but it would be necessary. Steve and Tony weren't made for the type of deviousness and deep-cover operations.

"So, HYDRA, huh?"

Mia jumped, turning to stare at Clint with wide eyes. "I… what?"

Clint leaned against a wall behind her. "Loki gave me an interesting piece of information today before he left with Thor. Said that HYDRA has infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Thought he was fucking with me at first but the more I thought about it, the more sense it made. Some of the things I've noticed… I had questions, but I trusted Phil. Phil is good people."

"He is. He'll also be one of the first they'll try to take out." Mia studied Clint closely, confused. "Why would he tell you?"

"Thought that would be obvious; he doesn't want you doing this alone." Straightening up, Clint sauntered over to her. "I may not be the genius that you and Stark are, but I'm not stupid. I know that Loki wasn't the one calling the shots before. I also know that he loves you and he would do whatever is necessary to protect you. He's not fucking around right now. So, what's the plan?"

"You don't have to do this," Mia told him, shaking her head. "You don't have to get involved."

He was unmoved. "The moment Loki told me that was the moment I became involved. Now tell me what you've got brewing up in that head of yours."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "We kill them before they kill us."

"Simple," Clint snorted. "This is a group that has been operating in the shadows for decades now. Who knows how many of them there are out there and how much power they've already collected. This isn't some super-obvious alien army."

"You're right, this won't be easy. This will be the hardest mission of our lives. We are both going to have make uncomfortable choices- you more than me. You may end up needing to kill people you once thought were your allies, your friends."

Clint's eyes turned cold. "Wouldn't be the first time someone I trusted stabbed me in the back."

Mia snorted. "If all goes according to plan, we'll be the one doing the stabbing."

His lips twitched. "Their name is really appropriate, isn't it? 'Cut off one head, two more grow'. That was their moto."

"That's silly." Mia turned to look back up at the sky. "Everyone knows that you don't cut off the head of a hydra- you slip in close and rip out the heart."

"My bad." They stood in silence for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts. "Any idea on where we should start?" Clint finally asked.

"I do." She glanced over at him. "Tell me, what do you know about a man named Vasily Karpov?"

* * *

"_You summoned me, Thanos?" A blue man dressed head-to-toe in black armor stepped up to the throne._

"_Ronan," Thanos greeted, the throne turning to face the famous Kree warrior. "I have heard rumors that a peace treaty between the Kree and the Nova Empire is being discussed."_

_A scowl appeared on Ronan's face and his purple eyes glowed with rage. "Such a treasonous act will never be accepted by the Kree people- to be forced to live alongside the Xandarians would be the greatest injustice there is."_

_Thanos hid his amusement, for this was just the response he had been hoping for. "So you say. Fortunately for you, I have some information that may be the thing you need to turn the war in your favor. The Weapon has returned to C-53. Should you manage to retrieve her and bring her back into the fold, the Nova Empire would not stand a chance."_

_The Kree's eyes lit up. The Weapon had returned to its original planet? Years had been spent searching for it without a hope- the destroyed Kree armies and bases all over the galaxy the only trace that it still existed. Still, Ronan wasn't a fool. "And what do you want in exchange for this information, Thanos?"_

"_I have a score to settle with the humans. The Weapon will need to be removed from the planet before I can finish what I started. If you wish to make use of it, then you will need to retrieve the Weapon on your own._

"_If you do not, I be forced to go and destroy her myself. You have one year to prepare your forces. I suggest that you do not tarry."_

* * *

**Please leave a review on your way out!**


	18. Chapter 18

**(A/N): Hey guys! Just wanted to let you know that the first chapter of ****_Time is a Valuable Thing _****has been posted! Some of you requested I send out an update on this story to let you know when I've begun posting the sequel so here you go! Sorry for the long wait!**


End file.
